Female sika deer have evolved larger incisors than males under relaxed selection against rapid tooth wear

• Published in: Biological journal of the Linnean Society Vol. 110; no. 2; pp. 384 - 397
• Main Authors: Kubo, Mugino O., Minami, Masato, Higuchi, Naoko, Ohnishi, Nobumasa, Okada, Ayumi, Kaji, Koichi, Ohba, Takahiro, Hosoi, Eiji, Koizumi, Toru, Takatsuki, Seiki
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Oxford University Press 01.10.2013
• Subjects: Cervus nippon; food habits; grazing; incisor arcade breadth; morphology; sexual dimorphism; sexual selection

Incisor size is associated with feeding efficiency in herbivorous ungulates and may have been under selection in correspondence with food habits. In the meantime, males of polygynous, dimorphic species have smaller cheek teeth than females, possibly because their reproductive span is much shorter th...