Understanding how the genetic mechanisms that underlie sexually dimorphic traits evolve is a major focus of Kopp lab, but what are the macroevolutionary consequences of dimorphism? Theory suggests that dimorphic taxa ought to speciate more often than their monomorphic sisters, but this prediction has been difficult to test. Using comparative phylogenetic methods, this article finds support for an increased rate of speciation amongst dimorphic bird taxa. It is interesting to consider how macroevolutionary trends like species selection might be predicated on the activities of deeply conserved genetic modules like Dsx/Scr. Does anyone know if DMRT genes like Dsx are involved in specifying pigmentation pathways in verts?
