Dear colleagues,
It is my pleasure to invite you for contributions to a new special issue of the journal Symmetry (JIF=2.645, Q2 in Multidisciplinary Sciences) with the topic “Fluctuating Asymmetry in Ungulates”, for which I will be guest editor together with Dr. Roberta Chirichella from the University of Sassari, Italy.
Fluctuating asymmetry (FA) is defined as nondirectional variation between the left and right sides of a bilateral character, and it may arise as a result of an inability to control development in different ecological contexts, showing an individual’s failure to produce a consistent phenotype in a given environment. FA is particularly manifested in physiologically expensive anatomical structures, like horns and antlers of ungulates, but it has received little attention in terms of its potential impact on production, reproduction, and behavioural parameters.
For this Special Issue, we invite review, theoretical and experimental papers, addressing methodological evaluation and application of fluctuating asymmetry in the understanding of fitness at the individual and population level. We invite studies representing ungulates, and encourage the submission of manuscripts supporting the use of fluctuating asymmetry as a tool or biomarker for detecting environmental or climatic pressures, degree of naturalness and anthropization effects. Studies testing FA as an environmental monitoring technique are especially welcome. Methodological issues could include multiple traits consideration, measurement accuracy and reliability, problems related to sample size, data collection, data treatment, appropriate statistical analysis and use of software.
This Special Issue on “Fluctuating Asymmetry in Ungulates” aims to continue highlighting these questions in the application of fluctuating asymmetry within ecological and zoological studies.
All submissions are peer-reviewed, and accepted papers are published immediately without waiting for other papers in the special issue. The manuscripts are published under open access.
Dr. Francisco Ceacero & Dr. Roberta Chirichella.
Guest editors.
Submission Deadline: 30 April 2022.
Website: https://www.mdpi.com/journal/symmetry/special_issues/Fluctuating_Asymmetry_Ungulates
Contact: doc. Francisco Ceacero PhD ceacero@ftz.czu.cz