Journal
PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
Volume 285, Issue 1878, Pages -Publisher
ROYAL SOC
DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2018.0173
Keywords
Bateman gradient; Bateman principles; diversification; macroevolution; species diversity; reproductive isolation
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Funding
- Swiss National Science Foundation [PA00P3-145375/1, P2BSP3_158842, P300PA_171516]
- Swiss National Science Foundation (SNF) [P300PA_171516, PA00P3_145375, P2BSP3_158842] Funding Source: Swiss National Science Foundation (SNF)
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Our improving knowledge of the animal tree of life consistently demonstrates that some taxa diversify more rapidly than others, but what contributes to this variation remains poorly understood. An influential hypothesis proposes that selection arising from competition for mating partners plays a key role in promoting speciation. However, empirical evidence showing a link between proxies of this sexual selection and species richness is equivocal. Here, we collected standardized metrics of sexual selection for a broad range of animal taxa, and found that taxonomic families characterized by stronger sexual selection on males show relatively higher species richness. Thus, our data support the hypothesis that sexual selection elevates species richness. This could occur either by promoting speciation and /or by protecting species against extinction.
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