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Dosage Compensation02:50

Dosage Compensation

In animals, gender is determined by the number and type of sex chromosome. For example, human females have two X chromosomes, and males have one X and one Y chromosome, whereas C.elegans with one X chromosome is a male, and the one with two X chromosomes is a hermaphrodite.
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Sexual Transmission of American Trypanosomes from Males and Females to Naive Mates
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Published on: January 27, 2019

On sexual dimorphism in immune function.

Charles L Nunn1, Patrik Lindenfors, E Rhiannon Pursall

  • 1Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, 04103 Leipzig, Germany.

Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological Sciences
|October 18, 2008
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Female mammals generally exhibit stronger immune function than males, challenging the immunocompetence handicap hypothesis. This study suggests life history differences, not just testosterone, drive sex-specific immunity, with females investing more in longevity.

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Published on: December 9, 2013

Area of Science:

  • Comparative immunology
  • Evolutionary biology
  • Animal physiology

Background:

  • Sexual dimorphism in immune function is widespread across species.
  • Explanations include hormonal effects (e.g., testosterone) and life history trade-offs.
  • The immunocompetence handicap hypothesis (ICHH) predicts sexual competition influences sex-specific immunity.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To test the ICHH predictions regarding sexual competition and immunocompetence in mammals.
  • To explore alternative explanations for sex differences in immune function, including life history.
  • To investigate immune dimorphism in insects to assess Bateman's principle independently of the ICHH.

Main Methods:

  • Comparative analysis of mammalian immune function and sexual competition data.
  • Meta-analysis of insect immune responses, focusing on phenoloxidase activity.
  • Statistical examination of white blood cell counts and longevity in female mammals.

Main Results:

  • Mammalian data did not support the ICHH's core prediction linking sexual competition to immunocompetence.
  • Female mammals showed higher white blood cell counts (WBC), correlated with longevity.
  • A positive association was found between immune dimorphism and breeding duration dimorphism, supporting Bateman's principle for immunity.
  • Insect meta-analysis revealed a female bias in phenoloxidase activity, independent of testosterone.

Conclusions:

  • The mechanistic explanations of the ICHH lack robust empirical support.
  • Fitness-related differences between sexes, particularly female investment in longevity, better explain observed patterns of immunocompetence.
  • Bateman's principle, applied to immunity, provides a viable framework for understanding sex-specific immune investment across diverse taxa.