Department of Biology, Trinity University, San Antonio, TX 78212, USA.
Proc Biol Sci. 2010 Jun 7;277(1688):1711-9. doi: 10.1098/rspb.2009.2323. Epub 2010 Feb 3.
Relationships between structure and function are a primary focus in biology, yet they are most often considered within individual species. Sexually dimorphic communication behaviours and the morphology of associated structures can vary widely, even among closely related species, and these traits provide an ideal opportunity to investigate the evolution of structure-function patterns. Using nine Anolis lizard species, we addressed a series of questions regarding sex differences in and the evolution of relationships between extension of the throat fan (dewlap) and morphology of the muscles and cartilage controlling it. The main results indicated that within species, males displayed the dewlap more often than females and consistently exhibited larger associated structures. These data are consistent with work in other vertebrates in which corresponding sex differences in reproductive morphology and behaviour have been documented. Across species, however, we found no evidence that the rate of dewlap extension evolved in association with dewlap morphology. Thus, we provide an example of traits that, when considered in a phylogenetic framework, exhibited limited associations between behaviour and morphology, perhaps as the result of constraints imposed by the ecological contexts in which different species occur.
结构与功能之间的关系是生物学的一个主要关注点，但它们通常只在单个物种内进行考虑。性二态通讯行为和相关结构的形态在密切相关的物种中甚至可能存在很大差异，这些特征为研究结构-功能模式的进化提供了一个理想的机会。我们使用了 9 种蜥蜴物种，探讨了关于喉扇（垂肉）伸展和控制其的肌肉和软骨形态之间关系的性别差异和进化的一系列问题。主要结果表明，在同一物种中，雄性比雌性更频繁地展示垂肉，并且始终表现出更大的相关结构。这些数据与其他脊椎动物的研究结果一致，在这些研究中，已经记录了与生殖形态和行为相对应的性别差异。然而，在物种间，我们没有发现垂肉伸展的速度与垂肉形态进化之间有任何关联的证据。因此，我们提供了一个例子，说明在考虑到系统发育框架时，行为和形态之间的关联有限，这可能是由于不同物种所处的生态环境所施加的限制造成的。
