Evidence map›Paper›PMID 33743581›Full record

ArticleBMC ecology and evolution2021

Jurassic scorpionflies (Mecoptera) with swollen first metatarsal segments suggesting sexual dimorphism.

Yan-Jie Zhang, Peter J M Shih, Jun-You Wang, Maria E McNamara, Chungkun Shih, Dong Ren, Tai-Ping Gao

Open access · goldAbstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in BMC ecology and evolution, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
2.2field-weighted citation impact, top 12% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed, 6 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors at 4 institutions in 4 countries.

Yan-Jie ZhangCollege of Life Sciences and Academy for Multidisciplinary Studies, Capital Normal University, 105 Xisanhuanbeilu, Haidian District, Beijing, 100048, China.
Peter J M ShihAcademy for Allied Health Sciences, 1776 Raritan Road, Scotch Plains, NJ, 07076, USA.
Jun-You WangInner Mongolia Museum of Natural History, No.13, South 2nd Ring Road, Saihan District, Hohhot City, 010010, Inner Mongolia, China.
Maria E McNamaraSchool of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University College Cork, Cork, T23 TK30, Ireland.
Chungkun ShihCollege of Life Sciences and Academy for Multidisciplinary Studies, Capital Normal University, 105 Xisanhuanbeilu, Haidian District, Beijing, 100048, China.
Dong RenCollege of Life Sciences and Academy for Multidisciplinary Studies, Capital Normal University, 105 Xisanhuanbeilu, Haidian District, Beijing, 100048, China. rendong@mail.cnu.edu.cn.
Tai-Ping GaoCollege of Life Sciences and Academy for Multidisciplinary Studies, Capital Normal University, 105 Xisanhuanbeilu, Haidian District, Beijing, 100048, China. tpgao@cnu.edu.cn.
Capital Normal University · CNNational Museum of Mongolia · MNSmithsonian Institution · USUniversity College Cork · IE

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundSexual dimorphism is widespread in insects. The certain specialized structures may be used as weapons in male-male combats or as ornaments to enhance mating opportunities.

resultsWe report striking swollen first tarsal segments in two families, four genera and six species of scorpionflies from the Middle Jurassic Yanliao Biota of Northeastern China. Swollen tarsal segments are restricted to male specimens and to hind leg tarsi. The geometric morphometric analyses reveal that the degree of swelling within the orthophlebiid species possessing swollen first metatarsal segments is species-specific, which can be used as a diagnostic character for taxonomic and phylogenetic studies.

conclusionsThe new findings indicate that swollen first metatarsal segments are relatively common in the family Orthophlebiidae during the Middle Jurassic. The tarsal swellings are considered to be sexually dimorphic, potentially associated with sexually display by males and/or camouflage of a "nuptial gift" in the mating process.

Indexed as

Metatarsal BonesSex CharacteristicsAnimalsChinaHumansMalePhylogenySpecies SpecificityFossil insectHolcorpidaeMesozoicNuptial giftOrthophlebiidaeTarsal swellingYanliao Biota

Identifiers

PMID33743581
PMCPMC7981964
OpenAlexW3138624238

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.