For years, it has been widely accepted that male mammals are typically larger than females, a belief rooted in Darwin’s theories. However, recent research challenges this notion, revealing that in over half of approximately 400 mammal species, females are equal in size or even larger than males. This discovery sheds light on biases in scientific literature that have persisted for over a century, limiting our understanding of sexual selection. Kaia Tombak, an evolutionary biologist at Purdue University, emphasizes the importance of questioning long-standing assumptions without substantial evidence. The phenomenon of sexual size dimorphism, where males and females of the same species differ in size, has long intrigued field biologists, particularly in the study of large, charismatic mammals such as lions and gorillas. However, the persistence of the larger male narrative has hindered a comprehensive understanding of size variation within species, hindering our ability to accurately assess sexual dimorphism.
2024-03-12 11:00:00
Source from www.sciencenews.org