Sexual dimorphism in the endemic Sardinian cave salamander (Atylodes genei)

Abstract. Sexual dimorphism in the size and shape of the Sardinian cave salamander (Atylodes genei) was analysed using morphometric measurements. Males and females are roughly equal in body size (mean snout-vent length SVL: 53.8 and 53.4 mm, respectively) but differed in body shape. Relative to their SVL, males had comparatively larger heads, longer limbs and tails than females, which agrees with patterns of sexual dimorphism in other closely related species. This suggests the existence of phylogenetic conservatism in sexual differences in body shape. The lack of dimorphism in body size could be an ancestral trait in Atylodes genei.