Disentangling the complexities of vertebrate sex allocation: a role for squamate reptiles?
(2007) In Oikos 116(6). p.1051-1057- Abstract
- Sex allocation is an important field in evolutionary biology, both historically and currently. However, while sex allocation theory has successfully predicted sex ratio bias in some taxa, most notably parasitic wasps, vertebrates are notorious for their poor fit to theoretical models. We argue that this arises from the use of very complex model systems to test relatively simple theoretical models. We further argue that squamate reptiles - lizards and snakes - have unduly been neglected in sex allocation studies and in fact may conform more readily to the underlying assumptions of existing theoretical models than many other vertebrates. We provide a five-point argument in favor of the use of squamates as model systems in sex allocation... (More)
- Sex allocation is an important field in evolutionary biology, both historically and currently. However, while sex allocation theory has successfully predicted sex ratio bias in some taxa, most notably parasitic wasps, vertebrates are notorious for their poor fit to theoretical models. We argue that this arises from the use of very complex model systems to test relatively simple theoretical models. We further argue that squamate reptiles - lizards and snakes - have unduly been neglected in sex allocation studies and in fact may conform more readily to the underlying assumptions of existing theoretical models than many other vertebrates. We provide a five-point argument in favor of the use of squamates as model systems in sex allocation based on their diversity in sex determining mechanisms, life history biology, and ease of experimental manipulations. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
https://lup.lub.lu.se/record/4731498
- author
- Wapstra, Erik ; Uller, Tobias LU ; Pen, Ido ; Komdeur, Jan ; Olsson, Mats and Shine, Richard
- publishing date
- 2007
- type
- Contribution to journal
- publication status
- published
- subject
- in
- Oikos
- volume
- 116
- issue
- 6
- pages
- 1051 - 1057
- publisher
- Wiley-Blackwell
- external identifiers
-
- scopus:34248366028
- ISSN
- 1600-0706
- DOI
- 10.1111/j.2007.0030-1299.15811.x
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- no
- id
- a0300375-4923-45c0-a389-ddcf1232e617 (old id 4731498)
- date added to LUP
- 2016-04-04 12:21:27
- date last changed
- 2022-04-16 05:03:12
@article{a0300375-4923-45c0-a389-ddcf1232e617, abstract = {{Sex allocation is an important field in evolutionary biology, both historically and currently. However, while sex allocation theory has successfully predicted sex ratio bias in some taxa, most notably parasitic wasps, vertebrates are notorious for their poor fit to theoretical models. We argue that this arises from the use of very complex model systems to test relatively simple theoretical models. We further argue that squamate reptiles - lizards and snakes - have unduly been neglected in sex allocation studies and in fact may conform more readily to the underlying assumptions of existing theoretical models than many other vertebrates. We provide a five-point argument in favor of the use of squamates as model systems in sex allocation based on their diversity in sex determining mechanisms, life history biology, and ease of experimental manipulations.}}, author = {{Wapstra, Erik and Uller, Tobias and Pen, Ido and Komdeur, Jan and Olsson, Mats and Shine, Richard}}, issn = {{1600-0706}}, language = {{eng}}, number = {{6}}, pages = {{1051--1057}}, publisher = {{Wiley-Blackwell}}, series = {{Oikos}}, title = {{Disentangling the complexities of vertebrate sex allocation: a role for squamate reptiles?}}, url = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.2007.0030-1299.15811.x}}, doi = {{10.1111/j.2007.0030-1299.15811.x}}, volume = {{116}}, year = {{2007}}, }