Sexual Dimorphism of Internal Organ Mass in Bufo gargarizans gargarizans from Summer Population
Sexual Dimorphism of Internal Organ Mass in Bufo gargarizans gargarizans from Summer Population
Jianping Gou, Jianli Xiong*, Baoxia Dong, Zhennan Liu and Manman Hou
ABSTRACT
In this study, we investigated potential differences in internal organ mass between male and female Asiatic toads(Bufo gargarizans gargarizans), collected in central China during the summer 2015. Females differed significantly in the stomach, small intestine, large intestine, lung, and gonads compared to males; however, liver and fat bodies did not differ between the sexes. The sex difference of these organs may contribute to different energy requirements for reproduction between males and females. Our findings suggest that female toads invest considerable resources into gamete production compared to males, and greater internal organs in females are a consequences of high energy requirements for reproduction, which favors females to produce more high-energy eggs.
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August 2017
Vol. 49, Iss. 4, Pages 1151-1546
