45% of mammalian species have larger males, 39% have similar-sized sexes, and 16% have larger females, contrary to Darwin's belief.
Contrary to Charles Darwin's long-held belief, a new analysis of 429 mammalian species reveals that male mammals are not larger than females in the majority of cases. The study published in Nature Communications found that 45% of species have males larger than females, while nearly 39% have sexes of similar size, and in 16% of species, females are larger. The researchers suggest that biases in scientific literature from over a century, as well as a focus on more charismatic species like primates and carnivores, has likely contributed to this misconception.
March 12, 2024
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