Evolution of Sexual Dimorphism
Most phenotypic and functional traits are encoded by the autosomal genome, which is shared between the sexes. This shared genome should theoretically constrain the evolution of sexual dimorphism, yet there is a great diversity of sex-specific phenotypes in nature. We study the pattern and process of how this occurs. We have characterized 1) phenotypic, physiological, and life history differences between the sexes (Cox, Peaden & Cox, 2015; Reedy et al. in press) and 2) how sex-specific development is regulated (Cox, Hanninen, Reedy et al., 2015).
References
Cox, R.M.†, Cox, C.L.†, McGlothlin, J.W., Card, D.C., Andrew, A.L., Castoe, J.M., 2017. Hormonally mediated increases in sex-biased gene expression accompany the breakdown of between-sex genetic correlations in a sexually dimorphic lizard. The American Naturalist 189, 315-332.
Kahrl, A. F., C. L. Cox, and R. M. Cox (2016). Correlated evolution between targets between pre- and postcopulatory sexual selection across squamate reptiles. Ecology and Evolution 6: 6452-6459.
Curlis, J. D.*, D. C. Macklem, R. Davis, and C. L. Cox. (2016). Sex-specific antipredator response to auditory cues in the black spiny-tailed iguana. Journal of Zoology 299:68-74
Reedy, A. M., C. L. Cox, A. K. Chung, W. J. Evans, and R. M. Cox (2016). Both sexes suffer increased parasitism and reduced energy storage as costs of reproduction in the brown anole, Anolis sagrei. Biological Journal of the Linnean Society 117: 516-527.
Cox, C.L., Hanninen, A.F., Reedy, A.M. & Cox, R.M. (2015) Females retain responsiveness to testosterone despite the evolution of androgen-mediated sexual dimorphism. Functional Ecology 29, 758-767.
Cox, C. L., R. T. Peaden*, and R. M. Cox (2015). The metabolic cost of mounting an immune response in male brown anoles (Anolis sagrei). Journal of Experimental Zoology 323: 689-695. Cover Image
References
Cox, R.M.†, Cox, C.L.†, McGlothlin, J.W., Card, D.C., Andrew, A.L., Castoe, J.M., 2017. Hormonally mediated increases in sex-biased gene expression accompany the breakdown of between-sex genetic correlations in a sexually dimorphic lizard. The American Naturalist 189, 315-332.
Kahrl, A. F., C. L. Cox, and R. M. Cox (2016). Correlated evolution between targets between pre- and postcopulatory sexual selection across squamate reptiles. Ecology and Evolution 6: 6452-6459.
Curlis, J. D.*, D. C. Macklem, R. Davis, and C. L. Cox. (2016). Sex-specific antipredator response to auditory cues in the black spiny-tailed iguana. Journal of Zoology 299:68-74
Reedy, A. M., C. L. Cox, A. K. Chung, W. J. Evans, and R. M. Cox (2016). Both sexes suffer increased parasitism and reduced energy storage as costs of reproduction in the brown anole, Anolis sagrei. Biological Journal of the Linnean Society 117: 516-527.
Cox, C.L., Hanninen, A.F., Reedy, A.M. & Cox, R.M. (2015) Females retain responsiveness to testosterone despite the evolution of androgen-mediated sexual dimorphism. Functional Ecology 29, 758-767.
Cox, C. L., R. T. Peaden*, and R. M. Cox (2015). The metabolic cost of mounting an immune response in male brown anoles (Anolis sagrei). Journal of Experimental Zoology 323: 689-695. Cover Image