The exaggerated horns of beetles are attractive models for studying the origin of novel traits and morphological evolution. Closely related species often differ profoundly in the size, number, and shape of their horns, and in the body region from which they extend. In addition, beetle horns exhibit exquisite nutrition-dependent phenotypic plasticity, leading to disproportionate growth of the horns in the largest, best-condition individuals and much smaller - even stunted - horn sizes in poor-condition individuals. These exciting phenomena in beetle horns have recently been revealed at the molecular level with the advent of next-generation sequencing. This section reviews the latest research on a horned beetle, the Japanese rhinoceros beetle Trypoxylus dichotomus, whose genome was recently sequenced.
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Department of Biology, Gonzaga University, Spokane, Washington, United States of America.
Japanese rhinoceros beetle (Trypoxylus dichotomus) males have exaggerated horns that are used to compete for territories. Larger males with larger horns tend to win these competitions, giving them access to females. Agonistic interactions include what appears to be assessment and often end without escalating to physical combat.
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Clarifying the mechanisms underlying shape alterations during insect metamorphosis is important for understanding exoskeletal morphogenesis. The large horn of the Japanese rhinoceros beetle Trypoxylus dichotomus is the result of drastic metamorphosis, wherein it appears as a rounded shape during pupation and then undergoes remodeling into an angular adult shape. However, the mechanical mechanisms underlying this remodeling process remain unknown.
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Article Synopsis
- - The size of extreme structures in nature, like beetle horns, is limited by a mechanical tradeoff: as horn length increases, horn strength decreases, leading to a "paradox of the weakening combatant."
- - In many species, males with longer horns are also stronger because natural selection has led to evolutionary changes that help counteract the strength loss associated with longer weapons.
- - By studying rhinoceros beetles' evolutionary history, researchers found that increases in horn length were linked to decreased lifting strength, which were later compensated for by either shorter horns or increased head height in some populations.
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