Rensch's rule in large herbivorous mammals derived from metabolic scaling

Sibly, R. M. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6828-3543, Zuo, W., Kodric-Brown, A. and Brown, J. H. (2012) Rensch's rule in large herbivorous mammals derived from metabolic scaling. The American Naturalist, 179 (2). pp. 169-177. ISSN 0003-0147 doi: 10.1086/663686

Abstract/Summary

Rensch’s rule, which states that the magnitude of sexual size dimorphism tends to increase with increasing body size, has evolved independently in three lineages of large herbivorous mammals: bovids (antelopes), cervids (deer), and macropodids (kangaroos). This pattern can be explained by a model that combines allometry,life-history theory, and energetics. The key features are thatfemale group size increases with increasing body size and that males have evolved under sexual selection to grow large enough to control these groups of females. The model predicts relationships among body size and female group size, male and female age at first breeding,death and growth rates, and energy allocation of males to produce body mass and weapons. Model predictions are well supported by data for these megaherbivores. The model suggests hypotheses for why some other sexually dimorphic taxa, such as primates and pinnipeds(seals and sea lions), do or do not conform to Rensh’s rule.

Item Type	Article
URI	https://reading-clone.eprints-hosting.org/id/eprint/28497
Item Type	Article
Refereed	Yes
Divisions	Life Sciences > School of Biological Sciences > Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
Uncontrolled Keywords	sexual selection, size dimorphism
Publisher	The American Society of Naturalists
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