Although differential selective pressures on males and females of the same species may
result in sex-specific evolutionary trajectories, comparative studies of adaptive radiations
have largely neglected within-species variation. In this study, we explore the potential effects
of natural selection, sexual selection, or a combination of both, on bite performance in males
and females of 19 species of Liolaemus lizards. More specifically, we study the evolution of
bite performance, and compare evolutionary relationships between the variation in head …

Phenotypic sexual differences can arise through, and be maintained by, different, non-
mutually exclusive, evolutionary processes. Sexual selection, in which a trait is selected for
because it confers a mating advantage in one of the sexes through its effect in intrasexual
competition or mate choice, is the process that comes to mind first. However, competition for
scarce resources (eg food) may also lead to niche divergence between the sexes, and
associated phenotypic divergence through the process of natural selection (cf. Selander …