J 2017

Sexual dimorphism in venom gland morphology in a sexually stinging scorpion

SENTENSKÁ, Lenka, Franziska GRABER, Miguel RICHARDS a Christian KROPF

Základní údaje

Originální název

Sexual dimorphism in venom gland morphology in a sexually stinging scorpion

Autoři

SENTENSKÁ, Lenka (203 Česká republika, garant, domácí), Franziska GRABER (756 Švýcarsko), Miguel RICHARDS (756 Švýcarsko) a Christian KROPF (756 Švýcarsko)

Vydání

Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, Oxford, OXFORD UNIV PRESS, 2017, 0024-4066

Další údaje

Jazyk

angličtina

Typ výsledku

Článek v odborném periodiku

Obor

10600 1.6 Biological sciences

Stát vydavatele

Velká Británie a Severní Irsko

Utajení

není předmětem státního či obchodního tajemství

Odkazy

Impakt faktor

Impact factor: 2.532

Kód RIV

RIV/00216224:14310/17:00098194

Organizační jednotka

Přírodovědecká fakulta

UT WoS

000412186500016

Klíčová slova anglicky

Euscorpius alpha; histology; scorpions; secretory cells; sexual selection; telson; venom variation

Štítky

Příznaky

Mezinárodní význam, Recenzováno
Změněno: 11. 4. 2018 21:49, Ing. Nicole Zrilić

Anotace

V originále

Males of several scorpion species possess bigger telsons than females. In at least some of these species, males repeatedly sting females during mating. This behaviour (‘sexual sting’) is likely correlated with a sexual dimorphism in telson and venom gland size. In sync with natural selection theory, females possess bigger venom glands because females need more nutrients for their offspring. Hence, we hypothesize that this sexual dimorphism in venom gland size evolved under sexual selection. We investigated the morphometrics and morphology of male and female telsons and venom glands of the sexually stinging scorpion Euscorpius alpha Caporiacco, 1950 (Euscorpiidae), using light and transmission electron microscopy. Male telsons are significantly bigger and more voluminous than those of females. Varying considerably between sexes, four different kinds of secretory cells are clearly distinguishable.The female secretory epithelium consists mainly of granule-filled cells while that of the males mainly has cells containing dissolvable vesicles. This cell type probably produces transparent venom that has been identified in other scorpions as so-called ‘prevenom’. The role this “pre-venom” plays in sexual sting behaviour is addressed.