📝 Abstract
Asymmetry is a difference in the sizes of bilaterally paired structures. From 41 corpses of domestic urban pigeon (Columba livia), 10 lineal measurements were obtained: body length, tail length, both sides of the length of the second primary (P2), both sides of the length of most external rectrices (R12), both sides of the wing length, and both sides of the tarsus diameter. Paired structures (P2, R12, wing length, and tarsus diameter) were compared in order to obtain values of asymmetries. Right directional asymmetry occurred in the P2 and R12. As this asymmetry can have effects on flight parameters, animals with asymmetry were supposed to be less well-fitted animals. There appeared too to be evidence that P2 and R12 asymmetries were greater in bigger animals. Our results suggest that patterns of asymmetries in this low sexual dimorphism species may often be better understood in a context of artificial rather than sexual selection.
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