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Another thing could be that as populations get bigger, so does genetic diversity, creating more sea lions that are bigger than usual. And since bigger male sea
by darth_avocado 3y ago
Another thing could be that as populations get bigger, so does genetic diversity, creating more sea lions that are bigger than usual. And since bigger male sea lions have an advantage in mating, those traits get passed on to more lions and over generations, become common.
- DoreenMichele 3y agoThey actually covered that: By expanding the breadth of their diets, the sea lions have been able to get bigger even as their numbers increased. In theory, larger sea lions should be able to travel further, dive deeper, and handle larger prey. In addition, as their breeding sites became more crowded, increased competition between males during the breeding season may have favored larger males over time. “Body size is very important in competition with other males to control territory at breeding sites. Being bigger also means they can fast longer and stay on the beach to defend their territory,” Valenzuela-Toro said.
- darth_avocado 3y agoRight, it talks about increased competition and size advantage. I was thinking more about the size itself. Increase in numbers means more genetic diversity, and more individuals with bigger size in a generation. Therefore, speeding up the generational size growth.