New study explores the evolution of sexual dimorphism in birds: are colorful males and larger females the result of extra-pair paternity? Learn more from Bart Kempenaers, @mihai_valcu & Cristina Valcu: https://doi.org/10.1111/jeb.14172

#ornithology #evolution #sexualdimorphism #birds

On the subject of sexual dimorphism in #dinosaurs

#sexualdimorphism

A flock of female Red-Winged Blackbirds stopped by the pond today. Males and females migrate separately and look quite different, with the males being solid black except for scarlet and yellow shoulder patches. ID thanks to the experts on iNaturalist. #BirdPhotography #iNaturalist #BirdMigration #SexualDimorphism

Kudos to @anna_calkin@twitter.com on receiving @NHMRC@twitter.com Ideas Grant of $1.4m to utilise a systems genetics approach to define the #sexualdimorphism in exercise-induced cardio-protection. She aims to identify and test novel targets to treat #CVD in a personalised manner @OzCvA@twitter.com @heartfoundation@twitter.com

How is diversity maintained in a competitive arena (be it Darwinian or political), when intuitively one would expect a single optimal strategy to succeed over all others? In simulations, stable clusters occur when there is an advantage to being different per se. Such models could explain #SexualDimorphism, #ImmunogeneticVariation, or even #PoliticalParties. But confirming this empirically is a challenge.
#BalancingSelection #FitnessLandscape
#EvolutionarySimulation