10.5061/DRYAD.J4754
Zeng, Yu
China West Normal University
Lou, Shang Ling
China West Normal University
Liao, Wen Bo
China West Normal University
Jehle, Robert
University of Salford
Kotrschal, Alexander
Stockholm University
Data from: Sexual selection impacts brain anatomy in frogs and toads
Dryad
dataset
2017
2017-08-19T00:00:00Z
2017-08-19T00:00:00Z
en
https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.2459
56832 bytes
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CC0 1.0 Universal (CC0 1.0) Public Domain Dedication
Natural selection is a major force in the evolution of vertebrate brain
size, but the role of sexual selection in brain size evolution remains
enigmatic. At least two opposing schools of thought predict a relationship
between sexual selection and brain size. Sexual selection should
facilitate the evolution of larger brains because better cognitive
abilities may aid the competition for mates. However, it may also restrict
brain size evolution due to energetic trade-offs between brain tissue and
sexually selected traits. Here, we examined the patterns of selection on
brain size and brain anatomy in male anurans (frogs and toads), a group
where the strength of sexual selection differs markedly among species,
using a phylogenetically controlled generalized least-squared (PGLS)
regression analyses. The analysis revealed that in 43 Chinese anuran
species, neither mating system, nor type of courtship, or testes mass was
significantly associated with relative brain size. While none of those
factors related to the relative size of olfactory nerves, optic tecta,
telencephalon, and cerebellum, the olfactory bulbs were relatively larger
in monogamous species and those using calls during courtship. Our findings
support the mosaic model of brain evolution and suggest that while the
investigated aspects of sexual selection do not seem to play a prominent
role in the evolution of brain size of anurans, they do impact their brain
anatomy.
Data