DOES SEXUAL SIZE DIMORPHISM VARY WITH THE FEWEST DAILY HOURS OF SUNSHINE IN RED MILLIPEDES CENTROBOLUS COOK, 1897?

Author Name: Mark I. Cooper

Volume/Issue: 03/03

Country: South Africa

DOI NO.: 08.2020-25662434 DOI Link: https://www.doi-ds.org/doilink/09.2022-94655978/UIJIR

Affiliation:

University of Johannesburg, South Africa

ABSTRACT

The objectives of this study were to determine what happened when Bergmann's Rule meets Rensch's Rule if Sexual Size Dimorphism (SSD) and body size changed with an eco-geographical factor. The fewest hours of sunshine were correlated with body size and SSD in the forest millipede genus Centrobolus. There was a significant negative correlation between SSD and hours of sunshine a day (r=-0.41, Z score=-1.90, n=22, p=0.03). Eco-geographical variance in the polygynandrous reproductive systems occurs with larger females and higher SSD occurring in lighter conditions.

Key words: Dimorphic, eco-geography, gradient, precipitation, size, species