Sexual dimorphism in the Caspian Pond Turtle, Mauremys caspica (original) (raw)

different body sizes. Biologists generally explained these differences in terms of sexual selection (Berry and Shine, 1980). Variation in body size may also reflect adaptations to environments, and sexual size dimorphism (SSD) arises from ultimate and proximate factors acting differently on males and females in those environments. Sexual dimorphism can result from sexual selection, such as selection for increased female fecundity, leading to an ecological niche divergence (Hendrick and Temeles, 1989; Shine, 1989). The Caspian Pond Turtle Mauremys caspica, (Gmelin, 1774) belonging to the Geoemydidae family, is a mediumsized freshwater turtle that is widespread throughout the Middle East (Vamberger et al., 2013). It is distributed from central Anatolia east and southeastwards across Syria and the Caucasus region to Iraq and Iran. Isolated relict populations are known from Bahrain and adjacent Saudi Arabia (Yadollahvand et al., 2014). In Iran, the species is widely distributed in Goles...