Body mass influences maternal allocation more than parity status for a long-lived cervid mother

Michel, Eric; Demarais, Stephen; Strickland, Bronson K.; Belant, Jerrold L.; Castle, Larry E

doi:10.1093/jmammal/gyz107

Cited by 5 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 51 publications

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“…Previous studies have suggested neonate birth mass may increase with dam age (Verme 1989), although maternal body mass is more influential than age (Michel et al 2015(Michel et al , 2019. We documented increased survival probability in neonates born to mature dams; however, the relationship was not driven by increased birth mass, as we did not find evidence to support a difference in birth mass between neonates born to immature or mature dams.…”

Section: Discussioncontrasting

confidence: 85%

White‐tailed deer neonate survival in the absence of predators

et al. 2020

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Several factors influence neonate survival rates in white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus), and an emphasis on predation as the primary limiting factor to neonate recruitment may serve to detract researchers from understanding other influential variables. We estimated survival and cause-specific mortality of white-tailed deer neonates in the absence of predators with an emphasis on assessing how birth mass, dam maturity, and weather covariates affect neonate survival. Additionally, we examined the influence of capture method (opportunistic searches vs. vaginal implant transmitter; VIT) on survival estimates. We captured 109 neonates using opportunistic capture (n = 55) and VITs (n = 54) in Sussex County, Delaware, USA, during 2016 and 2017. There are no established predator populations (i.e., black bear, bobcat, and coyote) within the study area. We observed greater 90-d survival rates in opportunistically captured neonates (0.69, 95% CI = 0.55-0.87) compared to VIT-captured neonates (0.44, 95% CI = 0.34-0.61), a difference driven by inobservance of early-life mortality events among neonates captured opportunistically. Natural causes excluding predation (e.g., disease, emaciation, and birth defects) accounted for all observed mortality (n = 42). Mortality related to disease, emaciation, and birth defects typically occurred in the first 7 d of life and was underrepresented in the opportunistically captured sample. Birth mass, dam age class, and precipitation influenced neonate mortality risk within the first 7 d of life, but no variables were associated with survival from 8 to 28 d of life. Non-predation-related mortality causes in our study area resulted in survival rates comparable to regions with established predator communities. Non-predation-related mortality may be the ultimate driving factor controlling neonatal survival in other regions but can be obfuscated by more proximal mortality sources, such as predation.

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Section: Discussioncontrasting

confidence: 85%

White‐tailed deer neonate survival in the absence of predators

et al. 2020

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Influence of maternal characteristics and reproductive history on recruitment in an iteroparous ungulate

et al. 2023

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Testing ‘bigger is better’ and maternal effects hypotheses in hatchlings of the sexually dimorphic spiny softshell turtle (Apalone spinifera)

Porter,

Paterson,

Davy

2024

Biological Journal of the Linnean Society

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The ‘bigger is better’ hypothesis (BIBH) predicts that fitness increases with body size. Eastern spiny softshell turtles (Apalone spinifera) exhibit sexual size dimorphism (SSD) at maturity, and the much larger female body size is attributed to selection favouring greater reproductive output. Hatchlings exhibit sexually dimorphic markings, but hatchling SSD has not been investigated. The BIBH predicts that hatchlings will not exhibit SSD because reproductive benefits to larger, mature females drive size dimorphism at maturity, but selection on hatchlings relates only to survival. We tested this prediction with A. spinifera hatchlings (N = 2630) incubated in controlled conditions to avoid confounding environmental effects on phenotype. Hatchling mass was similar between sexes, suggesting similar nutritional allocation to male and female offspring. Hatchling size (carapace length) was also similar between sexes. Hatchling mass and body size varied among clutches and were positively related to maternal size, suggesting morphological constraints on egg size. Surprisingly, clutch size was related only weakly to maternal size. Taken together, our results suggest that hatchling size in A. spinifera is consistent with the BIBH and that offspring quality increases with maternal age, but that maternal effects drive a large proportion of the variation in clutch size and offspring quality.

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Body mass influences maternal allocation more than parity status for a long-lived cervid mother

Cited by 5 publications

References 51 publications

White‐tailed deer neonate survival in the absence of predators

White‐tailed deer neonate survival in the absence of predators

Influence of maternal characteristics and reproductive history on recruitment in an iteroparous ungulate

Testing ‘bigger is better’ and maternal effects hypotheses in hatchlings of the sexually dimorphic spiny softshell turtle (Apalone spinifera)

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