Evidence for directional testes asymmetry in <em>Hyla gongshanensis jindongensis</em>
The compensation hypothesis predicts that one testis may grow more for compensating for a reduced function in the other testis, thus exhibiting a directional asymmetry in testis size. In this study, we tested the prediction of the compensation hypothesis in the Chinese endemic Tree Frog Hyla gongsha...
| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Firenze University Press
2017-06-01
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| Series: | Acta Herpetologica |
| Online Access: | https://oaj.fupress.net/index.php/ah/article/view/1797 |
| Summary: | The compensation hypothesis predicts that one testis may grow more for compensating for a reduced function in the other testis, thus exhibiting a directional asymmetry in testis size. In this study, we tested the prediction of the compensation hypothesis in the Chinese endemic Tree Frog Hyla gongshanensis jingdongensis in a population in Kegong Reserve site of Yunan Province in western China. For fifty-three male samplings, we found that the left testis size was significantly bigger than the right testis, which exhibited a significantly directional testis asymmetry, consistent with the evidence that mainly the left testis is functional with the right testis having a compensatory role, i.e. the left testis would increase in size if the right testis became non-functional. However, the relative testes size and the degree of testes asymmetry were not correlated with body condition in this species, suggesting that the testes asymmetry can not reflect male quality: high-quality individuals would not have more asymmetric testes.
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| ISSN: | 1827-9635 1827-9643 |