Abstract
Among primates, the extent of sexual dimorphism in body size ranges from species where mature females are slightly larger than mature males, as in some of the marmosets and tamarins (Ralls, 1976), through species where males are slightly larger than females, like many of the diurnal lemurs and the arboreal colobines, to those where males are nearly twice as heavy as females, as in the larger cercopithecines, the gorilla and the orang (Clutton-Brock and Harvey, 1978). The tendency for polygynous mammals to show greater size dimorphism than monogamous ones was originally noticed by Darwin (1871), and quantitative studies have subsequently confirmed that in primates (Gautier-Hion, 1975; Clutton-Brock et al., 1977; Clutton-Brock and Harvey, 1978) (see Fig. 1), pinnipeds and ungulates (Alexander et al., 1979), as well as birds (Lack, 1968) and amphibians (Shine, 1979) monogamous species consistently show less dimorphism than polygynous ones.
With many of the Quadrumana, we have ... evidence of the action of sexual selection in the greater size and strength of the males, and in the greater development of their canine teeth, in comparison with the females.
Charles Darwin (1871)
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Preview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
References
Alexander, R. D., Hoogland, J. L., Howard, R. D., Noonan, M., and Sherman, P. W. 1979. Sexual dimorphisms, and breeding systems in pinnipeds, ungulates, primates and humans, in: Evolutionary Biology and Human Social Behavior: An Anthropological Perspective (N. A. Chagnon and W. Irons, eds.), pp. 402–604, Duxbury Press, North Scituate, Massachusetts.
Bateman, A. J. 1948. Intrasexual selection in Drosophila. Heredity 2: 349–368.
Charles-Dominique, P. 1974. Aggression and territoriality in nocturnal prosimians, in: Primate Aggression, Territoriality and Xenophobia; A Comprehensive Perspective (R. L. Holloway, ed.), pp. 31–48, Academic Press, New York.
Clutton-Brock, T. H. 1983. Selection in relation to sex, in: Evolution from Molecules to Men (Proceedings of the Darwin Centennial Conference, Cambridge) (J. S. Bendall, ed.), pp. 457–482, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.
Clutton-Brock, T. H., and Harvey, P. H. 1978. Mammals, resources and reproductive strategies. Nature 273: 191–195.
Clutton-Brock, T. H., Harvey, P. H., and Rudder, B. 1977. Sexual dimorphism, socionomic sex ratio and body weight in primates. Nature 269: 797–800.
Clutton-Brock, T. H., Albon, S. D., Gibson, R. M., and Guinness, F. E. 1979. The logical stag: Adaptive aspects of fighting in red deer (Cervus elaphus L.). Anim. Behav. 27: 211–225.
Clutton-Brock, T. H., Albon, S. D., and Harvey, P. H. 1980. Antlers, body size and breeding systems in the Cervidae. Nature 285: 565–567.
Clutton-Brock, T. H., Guinness, F. E., and Albon, S. D. 1982. Red Deer: Behavior and Ecology of Two Sexes, University of Chicago Press, Chicago.
Darwin, C. 1871. The Descent of Man and Selection in Relation to Sex, Murray, London.
Downhower, J. F. 1976. Darwin’s finches and the evolution of sexual dimorphism in body size. Nature 263: 558–563.
Gautier-Hion, A. 1975. Dimorphisme sexuel et organisation sociale chez les cercopithécinés africains. Mammalia 39: 365–374.
Gautier-Hion, A. 1980. Seasonal variations of diet related to species and sex in a community of Cercopithecus monkeys. J. Anim. Ecol. 49: 237–269.
Geist, V. 1966. The evolution of horn-like organs. Behaviour 27: 175–214.
Geist, V. 1971. Mountain Sheep: A Study in Behavior and Evolution, University of Chicago Press, Chicago.
Grafen, A. 1982. How not to measure inclusive fitness. Nature 298: 419–420.
Hrdy, S. B. 1977. The Langurs of Abu: Female and Male Strategies of Reproduction, Harvard University Press, Cambridge.
Huxley, J. S. 1932. Problems of Relative Growth, Methuen, London.
Janis, C. 1982. Evolution of horns in ungulates: Ecology and paleoecology. Biol. Rev. 57: 261–318.
Kleiman, D. G. 1977. Monogamy in mammals. Q. Rev. Biol. 52: 39–69.
Klingel, H. 1972. Social behaviour of African equidae. Zool. Africana 7: 175–185.
Kruuk, H. 1972. The Spotted Hyena: A Study of Predation and Social Behavior, University of Chicago Press, Chicago.
Lack, D. 1968. Ecological Adaptations for Breeding in Birds, Methuen, London.
Leutenegger, W. 1978. Scaling of sexual dimorphism in body size and breeding system in primates. Nature 272: 610–611.
Leutenegger, W. 1982. Scaling of sexual dimorphism in body weight and canine size in primates. Folia Primatol 37: 163–176.
Leutenegger, W., and Kelly, J. T. 1977. Relationship of sexual dimorphism in canine size and body size to social behavioral and ecological correlates in anthropoid primates. Primates 18: 117–136.
Lowther, P. 1975. Geographic and ecological variation in the family Icteridae. Wilson Bull. 87: 481–495.
McGregor, P. K., Krebs, J. R., and Perrins, C. M. 1981. Song repertoires and lifetime reproductive success in the great tit, Parus major. Am. Nat. 118: 149–159.
Moreno-Black, G., and Maples, W. R. 1977. Differential habitat utilization of four Cercopithecidae in a Kenyan forest. Folia Primatol. 27: 85–107.
Nagel, U., and Kummer, H. 1974. Variation in cercopithecoid aggressive behavior, in: Primate Aggression, Territoriality and Xenophobia; A Comprehensive Perspective (R. L. Holloway, ed.), pp. 159–184, Academic Press, New York.
Packer, C. 1979a. Inter-troop trnsfer and inbreeding avoidance in Papio anubis. Anim. Behav. 27: 1–36.
Packer, C. 1979b. Male dominance and reproductive activity in Papio anubis. Anim. Behav. 27: 37–45.
Ralls, K. 1976. Mammals in which the female is larger than the male. Q. Rev. Biol. 51: 245–272.
Ralls, K. 1977. Sexual dimorphism in mammals: Avian models and unanswered questions. Am. Nat. 111: 917–938.
Rensch, B. 1959. Evolution above the Species Level, Methuen, London.
Selander, R. K. 1972. Sexual selection and dimorphism in birds, in: Sexual Selection and the Descent of Man, 1871–1971 (B. Campbell, ed.), pp. 180–230, Aldine, Chicago.
Shine, R. 1979. Sexual selection and sexual dimorphism in the Amphibia. Copeia 2: 297–306.
Smith, J. M. 1958. The Theory of Evolution, Penguin, Hardmondsworth.
Smith, J. M. 1978. The Evolution of Sex, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.
Sorenson, M. W. 1974. A review of aggressive behavior in the tree shrews, in: Primate Aggression, Territoriality and Xenophobia; A Comprehensive Perspective (R. L. Holloway, ed.), pp. 13–30, Academic Press, New York.
Sussman, R. W., and Richard, A. 1974. The role of aggression among diurnal prosimians, in: Primate Aggression, Territoriality and Xenophobia; A Comprehensive Perspective (R. L. Holloway, ed.), pp. 49–76, Academic Press, New York.
Trivers, R. L. 1972. Parental investment and sexual selection, in: Sexual Selection and the Descent of Man, 1871–1971 (B. Campbell, ed.), pp. 136–179, Aldine, Chicago.
Wade, M.J. 1979. Sexual selection and variance in reproductive success. Am. Nat. 114: 742–746.
Wade, M. J., and Arnold, S. J. 1980. The intensity of sexual selection in relation to male sexual behavior, female choice, and sperm precedence. Anim. Behav. 28: 446–461.
Zuckerman, S. 1932. The Social Life of Monkeys and Apes, Routledge, Kegan & Paul, London.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 1985 Springer Science+Business Media New York
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Clutton-Brock, T.H. (1985). Size, Sexual Dimorphism, and Polygyny in Primates. In: Jungers, W.L. (eds) Size and Scaling in Primate Biology. Advances in Primatology. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4899-3647-9_4
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4899-3647-9_4
Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA
Print ISBN: 978-1-4899-3649-3
Online ISBN: 978-1-4899-3647-9
eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive