Exploring sexual differences in external morphology and limb muscles of Hylarana guentheri (Anura: Ranidae) during non‐breeding season

Abstract

Studying sexual dimorphism facilitates better understanding of the general intersexual divergence of the same species and gives insights into the impact of selective forces on each sex. The sexual dimorphism in anuran external morphology or limb muscles has been well studied in reproductive context, but less so outside the breeding season. Herein, the intersexual differences in 12 external morphological characteristics, 11 forelimb and 12 hindlimb muscles of Hylarana guentheri during non‐breeding season were investigated. We found that the males possessed significantly greater head width and tympanum diameter, while the females had significantly larger body size and head length; there was no sexual differences in the examined limb muscles, except for the mass of flexor carpi radialis. The larger body size means greater fertility for the females, and the longer head may be related to the allometry and reduce resource competition. For the males, the wider head is likely correlated with prey size and male–male competition, and also, the larger tympanum and heavier flexor carpi radialis probably aid the productive success. This study provides the comprehensive morphological accounts about the sexual differences of H. guentheri during non‐breeding season, which will contribute to clarify the sex‐specific resource allocation and reproductive strategies of anurans.

Sexual shape dimorphism in Bufo verrucosissimus (Pallas, 1814) from Lake Borçka Karagöl, Türkiye

“…SSD arising due to sexual or natural selection is a widely studied pattern in sexually reproducing animals (Parker 1992, Isaac 2005, Cox et al 2007, Pincheira-Donoso et al 2021. It is noted that the analysis of shape dimorphism can contribute to the understanding of reproductive traits, enhanced fitness, and adaptation to ecological conditions (Olsson et al 2002, Butler & Losos 2002, Englmaier et al 2022, Li et al 2022.…”