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The Evolution Of Copulation Frequency And The Mechanisms Of Reproduction In Male Anolis Lizards, Michele A. Johnson, Maria Veronica Lopez, Tara K. Whittle, Bonnie K. Kircher, A K. Dill, Divina Varghese, J. Wade
The Evolution Of Copulation Frequency And The Mechanisms Of Reproduction In Male Anolis Lizards, Michele A. Johnson, Maria Veronica Lopez, Tara K. Whittle, Bonnie K. Kircher, A K. Dill, Divina Varghese, J. Wade
Biology Faculty Research
The evolution of many morphological structures is associated with the behavioral context of their use, particularly for structures involved in copulation. Yet, few studies have considered evolutionary relationships among the integrated suite of structures associated with male reproduction. In this study, we examined nine species of lizards in the genus Anolis to determine whether larger copulatory morphologies and higher potential for copulatory muscle performance evolved in association with higher copulation rates. In 10–12 adult males of each species, we measured the size of the hemipenes and related muscles, the seminiferous tubules in the testes, and the renal sex segments in …