Sexual dimorphism of skeletal robusticity in several mammalian orders.

This study tries to determine whether a phylogenetic trend exists in the sexual dimorphism of skeletal robusticity and whether domestication has an effect on it. The problems were studied in the metatarsals of marsupials, insectivores, rodents and primates including Homo, and in various skeletal sections of wild and domesticated rats and dogs. No clear phylogenetic trend could be found and domestication cannot be shown to have an effect on diminishing skeletal robusticity. Sexual dimorphism of skeletal robusticity seems to be highly species-specific and to have a mosaic distribution in a given taxon. Conclusions on phylogenetic trends of sexual dimorphism of skeletal robusticity and the effect of culture on it seem to be premature.