Allometric analysis of sexual dimorphism and morphological variation in two chromosome races of the Sceloporus grammicus complex (Squamata: Phrynosomatidae) from Mexico

Abstract

Sexual dimorphism is a widespread feature in the Animal Kingdom. In lizards of the Sceloporus grammicus complex, studies of sexual dimorphism that analyze the allometric trajectories of body traits remain unexplored. Here we investigate sexual dimorphism in key phenotypic traits, including body size (snout-vent length, SVL) as well as head length (HL), head width (HW), and forearm length (FL). We use an allometric approach to detect differences in scale relationships among body parts in the S. grammicus complex in Mexico. We focus on two chromosomal races within this complex, F5 (2n = 34) and FM2 (2n = 46). In the complex, we found that males are larger than females in all morphological variables, and this pattern was confirmed in both races. We determined negative allometric trajectories (SVL vs. HL and HW), isometry (SVL vs. FL) and intersexual differences in the slopes of the SVL vs. HL and HW; the males showed steeper slopes. Thus, the growth of the head is more pronounced in males than females. Additionally, we found between-race differences in these trajectories (SVL vs. FL) and in all morphological variables (F5 lizards are larger than those of the FM2 race), which correlate with their chromosomal divergence. We discuss biological implications of our findings in relation to sexual selection and natural selection.