Open Access Open Access  Restricted Access Subscription or Fee Access

Sexual Dimorphism in Testudo graeca zarudnyi (Testudines: Testudinidae) from Yazd Province, Central Iran

Behzad Zadhoush, Mehdi Rajabizadeh, Morteza Azizi, Hiva Faizi

Abstract


To investigate morphological traits of the poorly known Zarudny’s tortoise, Testudo graeca zarudnyi Nikolsky, 1896, which has only been reported from Iran so far, we have conducted morphometric analysis to test sexual differences (sexual size and shape dimorphism, SSD) in Marvar Prohibited Hunting Area (central Iran). Our findings showed that males have wider carapace and larger hind limbs; while, females have longer plastron. This pattern has resulted in shape differences with males; that is, have more domed and wider carapace than to the females. Generally, Females are larger than males we will discuss it as a force to fecundity selection. The results showed that this subspecies does not follow Rench’s rule which argues that males are larger than females.

Keywords


sexual dimorphism; Testudo graeca zarudnyi; Iranian tortoise; Yazd Province; Iran; Rench’s rule

Full Text:

PDF

References


Agha M., Ennen J. R., Nowakowski A. J., Lovich J. E., Sweat S. C., and Todd B. D. (2018), “Macroecological patterns of sexual size dimorphism in turtles of the world,” J. Evol. Biol., 31(3), 336 – 345.

Aghili H., Rastegar Pouyani N., Rajabizadeh M., Kami H. G., and Kiabi B. H. (2010), “Sexual dimorphism in Laudakia erythrogastra (Sauria: Agamidae) from Khorasan Razavi Province, Northeastern Iran,” Russ. J. Herpetol., 17(1), 51 – 58.

Anadón J. D., Giménez A., Perez I., Martinez M, and Esteve M. A. (2006), “Habitat selection by the spur-thighed tortoise Testudo graeca in a multisuccessional landscape: implications for habitat management,” Biodivers. Conserv., 15(7), 2287 – 2299.

Andersson M. (1994), Sexual Selection. Vol. 72, Princeton Univ. Press.

Barros M. S., Silva A. G., and Ferreira Junior P. D. (2012), “Morphological variations and sexual dimorphism in Chelonoidis carbonaria (Spix, 1824) and Chelonoidis denticulata (Linnaeus, 1766) (Testudinidae),” Brazil. J. Biol., 72(1), 153 – 161.

Ben Kaddour K., Mouden E. H. E., Slimani T., Bonnet X., and Lagarde F. (2008), “Sexual dimorphism in the Greek tortoise: a test of the body shape hypothesis,” Chelonian Conserv. Biol., 7(1), 21 – 27.

Berry J. F. and Shine R. (1980), “Sexual size dimorphism and sexual selection in turtles (Order Testudines),” Oecologia, 44(2), 185 – 191.

Bonnet X., Delmas V., El Mouden H., Slimani T., Sterijovski B., and Kuchling G. (2010), “Is sexual body shape dimorphism consistent in aquatic and terrestrial chelonians?» Zoology, 113(4), 213 – 220.

Bonnet X., Lagarde F., Henen B. T., Corbin J., Nagy K. A., Naulleau G., Balhoul K., Chastel O., Legrand A., and Cambag R. (2001), “Sexual dimorphism in steppe tortoises (Testudo horsfieldii): influence of the environment and sexual selection on body shape and mobility,” Biol. J. Linn. Soc., 72(3), 357 – 372.

Braza F., Delibes M., and Castroviejo J. (1981), “Estudio biométrico y biológico de la tortuga mora (Testudo graeca) en la Reserva Biológica de Doñana, Huelva,” Doñana Acta Vertebr., 8, 15 – 41.

Camerano L. (1877), “Dei caratteri sessuali secondari della Testudo ibera Pallas,” Atti Real Accad. Sci. Torino, 13, 97 – 102.

Ceballos C. P. and Iverson J. B. (2014), “Patterns of sexual size dimorphism in Chelonia: revisiting Kinosternidae,” Biol. J. Linn. Soc., 111(4), 806 – 809.

Cheng R. C. and Kuntner M. (2015), “Disentangling the size and shape components of sexual dimorphism,” Evol. Biol., 42(2), 223 – 234.

Darwin C. (1859), The Origin of Species, 6th Edition. Vol. 570, John Murray, London.

Darwin C. (1871), The Descent of Man, and Selection in Relation to Sex, John Murray, London.

de Solla S. R., Bishop C. A., and Brooks R. J. (2002), “Sexually dimorphic morphology of hatchling snapping turtles (Chelydra serpentina) from contaminated and reference sites in the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River basin, North America,” Environm. Toxicol. Chem. Int. J., 21(5), 922 – 929.

Díaz Paniagua C., Keller C., and Andreu A. C. (1995), “Annual variation of activity and daily distances moved in adult spur-thighed tortoises, Testudo graeca, in southwestern Spain,” Herpetologica, 51(2), 225 – 233.

Galeotti P., Sacchi R., Pellitteri Rosa D., and Fasola M. (2011), “The yellow cheek-patches of the Hermann’s tortoise (Reptilia, Chelonia): sexual dimorphism and relationship with body condition,” Ital. J. Zool., 78(4), 464 – 470.

Germano D. J. (1993), “Shell morphology of North American tortoises,” Am. Midland Naturalist, 129(92), 319 – 335.

Gibbon J. W. and Lovich J. E. (1990), “Sexual dimorphism in turtles with emphasis on the slider turtle (Trachemys scripta),” Herpetol. Monogr., 4, 1 – 29.

Graciá E., Rodríguez Caro R. C., Andreu A. C., Fritz U., Giménez A., and Botella F. (2017), “Human-mediated secondary contact of two tortoise lineages results in sex-biased introgression,” Sci. Rep., 7(1), 4019.

Grubb P. (1971), “The growth, ecology and population structure of giant tortoises on Aldabra,” Phil. Trans. Roy. Soc. Lond. B. Biol. Sci., 260, 836.

Halámková L., Schulte J. A., and Langen T. A. (2013), “Patterns of sexual size dimorphism in Chelonia,” Biol. J. Linn. Soc., 108(2), 396 – 413.

Hammer Ø., Harper D., and Ryan P. D. (2001), “A paleontological statistics software package for education and data analysis,” Palaeontol. Electron., 4(1), 9.

Harvey P. H. and Bradbury J. W. (1991), “Sexual selection,” in: J. R. Krebs and N. B. Davies (eds.), Behavioural Ecology: an Evolutionary Approach, Blackwells, Oxford, pp. 203 – 233.

Hedrick A. V. and Temeles E. J. (1989), “The evolution of sexual dimorphism in animals: hypotheses and tests,” Trends Ecol. Evol., 4(5), 136 – 138.

Herman T. B., Power T. D., and Eaton B. R. (1995), “Status of Blanding’s turtles, Emydoidea blandingii, in Nova Scotia, Canada,” Can. Field-Naturalist, 109(2), 182 – 191.

Hofmeyr M. D. and Branch W. R. (2018), “The padloper’s tortuous path (Chelonia: Testudinidae): Two genera, not one,” Afr. J. Herpetol., 67(2), 99 – 112.

Javanbakht H., Ihlow F., Jablonski D., Široký P., Fritz U., Rödder D., Sharifi M., and Mikulíček P. (2017), “Genetic diversity and Quaternary range dynamics in Iranian and Transcaucasian tortoises,” Biol. J. Linn. Soc., 121(3), 627 – 640.

Juri G. L., Chiaraviglio M., and Cardozo G. (2018), “Macroevolution of sexual size dimorphism and reproduction-related phenotypic traits in lizards of the Chaco Domain,” BMC Evol. Biol., 18(1), 1 – 11.

Kaliontzopoulou A., Pinho C., and Martínez Freiría F. (2018), “Where does diversity come from? Linking geographical patterns of morphological, genetic, and environmental variation in wall lizards,” BMC Evol. Biol., 18(1), 124.

Keswick T. and Hofmeyr M. D. (2015), “Sexual dimorphism and geographic variation in the morphology of a small southern African tortoise (Psammobates oculifer),” Amphibia–Reptilia, 36(1), 55 – 64.

Kratochvíl L., Kubička L., Vohralík M., and Starostová Z. (2018), “Variability in vertebral numbers does not contribute to sexual size dimorphism, interspecific variability, or phenotypic plasticity in body size in geckos (Squamata: Gekkota: Paroedura),” J. Exp. Zool. Part A. Ecol. Integr. Physiol., 329(4 – 5), 185 – 190.

Kupfer A. (2007), “Sexual size dimorphism in amphibians: an overview,” Sex Size Gender Roles. Evol. Stud. Sex. Size Dimorphism, 5, 50 – 60.

Lagarde F., Bonnet X., Nagy K., Henen B., Corbin J., and Naulleau G. (2002), “A short spring before a long jump: the ecological challenge to the steppe tortoise (Testudo horsfieldii),” Can. J. Zool., 80(3), 493 – 502.

Lefebvre F., Limousin M., and Caubet Y. (2000), “Sexual dimorphism in the antennae of terrestrial isopods: a result of male contests or scramble competition?» Can. J. Zool., 78(11), 1987 – 1993.

Lefebvre J. (2009), Marrying Conservation and Exploitation: Combining Integrated Resource Management Plans (IRMs) and the Blanding’s Turtle (Emydoidea blandingii) to Conserve and Manage Wetland Ecosystems in Nova Scotia. Doctoral Dissertation, Acadia University.

Leuteritz T. E. and Gantz D. T. (2013), “Sexual dimorphism in radiated tortoises (Astrochelys radiata),” Chelonian Res. Monogr., 6, 105 – 112.

Lovich J. E. and Gibbons J. W. (1990), “Age at maturity influences adult sex ratio in the turtle Malaclemys terrapin,” Oikos, 59(1), 126 – 134.

Lovich J. E. and Gibbons J. W. (1992), “A review of techniques for quantifying sexual size dimorphism,” Growth Devel. Aging, 56(4), 269 – 281.

Lubiana A. and Ferreira P. D., Júnior (2009), “Pivotal temperature and sexual dimorphism of Podocnemis expansa hatchlings (Testudines: Podocnemididae) from Bananal Island, Brazil,” Zoologia (Curitiba), 26(3), 527 – 533.

Macale D., Venchi A., and Scalici M. (2011), “Shell shape and size variation in the Egyptian tortoise Testudo kleinmanni (Testudinidae, Testudines),” Folia Zool., 60(2), 167 – 175.

Madsen T. and Shine R. (1993), “Phenotypic plasticity in body sizes and sexual size dimorphism in European grass snakes,” Evolution, 47(1), 321 – 325.

McRae W. A., Landers J. L., and Cleveland G. D. (1981), “Sexual dimorphism in the gopher tortoise (Gopherus polyphemus),” Herpetologica, 37(1), 46 – 52.

Moskovits D. K. (1988), “Sexual dimorphism and population estimate of the two Amazonian tortoises (Geochelone carbonaria and G. denticulata) in northwestern Brazil,” Herpetologica, 44(2), 209 – 217.

Parham J. F., Stuart B. L., Danilov I. G., and Ananjeva N. B. (2012), “A genetic characterization of CITES-listed Iranian tortoises (Testudo graeca) through the sequencing of topotypic samples and a 19th century holotype,” Herpetol. J., 22(2), 73 – 78.

Pearson D., Shine R., and Williams A. (2002), “Geographic variation in sexual size dimorphism within a single snake species (Morelia spilota, Pythonidae),” Oecologia, 131(3), 418 – 426.

Rezazadeh E., Alucheh R. M., and Kami H. G. (2014), “A preliminary study on the Mediterranean spur-thighed tortoise Testudo graeca Linnaeus, 1758 from northwestern Iran,” Herpetol. Notes, 7, 127 – 133.

Shine R. (1988), “The evolution of large body size in females: a critique of Darwin’s ‘fecundity advantage’ model,” Am. Naturalist, 131(1), 124 – 131.

Shine R. (1989), “Ecological causes for the evolution of sexual dimorphism: a review of the evidence,” Quart. Rev. Biol., 64(4), 419 – 461.

Shine R. (1990), “Proximate determinants of sexual differences in adult body size,” Am. Naturalist, 135(2), 278 – 283.

Slatkin M. (1984), “Ecological causes of sexual dimorphism,” Evolution, 38(3), 622 – 630.

Sreekar R., Saini K. A., Rao S. N., and Purushotham C. B. (2011), “Predicting lizard gender: sexual dimorphism in Calotes rouxii (Reptilia: Agamidae) from Agumbe, Karnataka, India,” Herpetol. Conserv. Biol., 6(1), 75 – 80.

Stephens P. R. and Wiens J. J. (2009), “Evolution of sexual size dimorphisms in emydid turtles: ecological dimorphism, Rensch’s rule, and sympatric divergence,” Evol. Int. J. Organic Evol., 63(4), 910 – 925.

Türkozan O., Kiremit F., Taskavak E., and Olgun K. (2005), “Status, distribution, and population structure of land tortoises in European Thrace and Northwestern Anatolia,” Russ. J. Herpetol., 12(3), 187 – 194.

Willemsen R. E. and Hailey A. (2003), “Sexual dimorphism of body size and shell shape in European tortoises,” J. Zool., 260(4), 353 – 365.

Zadhoush B., Rezaei H. R., and Rajabizadeh M. (2021), “Distribution modeling and evaluation of the habitat integrity of Testudo graeca zarudnyi (Testudines: Testudinidae) in Central and Southeastern Iran,” J. Wildlife Biodivers., 5(2), 15 – 27.




DOI: https://doi.org/10.30906/1026-2296-2023-30-6-493-501

Refbacks

  • There are currently no refbacks.


You can subscribe to the print or electronic version of the journal on the site of EastView Company. If you have any questions, please write to the email sales@ivis.ru