Abstract: Alternative morphotypes have been reported in males of different taxa. In some mammals highly masculinized and slightly masculinized males represent two opposite ends along a gradient of phenotypic variation in males. This phenotypical gradient originates during prenatal development. Laboratory studies have documented how highly and slightly masculinized males differ in several traits, including their reproductive success. However, the extent to which these reported differences materialize in natural populations remains unknown. We quantified the impact...

Resolving patterns of ancient and rapid diversifications is one of the most challenging tasks in evolutionary biology. These difficulties arise from confusing phylogenetic signals that are associated with the interplay of incomplete lineage sorting and homoplasy. Phylogenomic analyses of hundreds, or even thousands, of loci offer the potential to resolve such contentious relationships. Yet, how much useful phylogenetic information these large data sets contain remains uncertain and often goes untested. Here, we assess the utility...