Intraspecific divergence of sexual size dimorphism and reproductive strategies in a polytypic poison frog

Research output: Contribution to journalResearch articleContributedpeer-review

Contributors

  • Lia Schlippe Justicia - , University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna (Author)
  • Martin Mayer - , Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences, Aarhus University (Author)
  • Ugo Lorioux-Chevalier - , French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS) (Author)
  • Carolin Dittrich - , University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, University of Jyväskylä (Author)
  • Bibiana Rojas - , University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, University of Jyväskylä (Author)
  • Mathieu Chouteau - , French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS) (Author)

Abstract

Intraspecific variation in body size, both among populations and between sexes, is an important factor influencing life-history strategies. This variation might be the response to different environmental conditions, as well as natural and sexual selection, and can result in differences in behavior and reproductive strategies among populations. Here, we use the dyeing poison frog (Dendrobates tinctorius) as a model to investigate how interpopulation variation in body size and sexual size dimorphism affects reproductive strategies. As body size increased, sexual size dimorphism also increased, i.e., females were larger than males, and more so in populations with overall larger frogs. This indicates that there is a stronger selection for body size in females than in males, likely as a response to divergent reproductive investment between the sexes. Females from larger-bodied populations produced larger clutches, but the overall number of froglets produced per clutch did not differ among populations. We discuss potential causes and mechanisms that might be responsible for the observed divergence in body size, sexual size dimorphism, and reproductive strategies among populations that likely represent local adaptations. Our findings demonstrate the importance of cross-population studies, cautioning against drawing general conclusions about a species' ecology without accounting for intraspecific variation.

Details

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)121-139
Number of pages19
JournalEvolutionary Ecology
Volume38
Issue number1-2
Early online dateDec 2023
Publication statusPublished - Apr 2024
Peer-reviewedYes
Externally publishedYes

External IDs

Scopus 85178432194
ORCID /0000-0002-4447-4481/work/190571675

Keywords

Keywords

  • Body size, Dendrobates tinctorius, Dyeing poison frog, Life history, Tropical ecology