Ecology and behavior of the Cretan agrimi

Husband, Thomas P.; Davis, Phillip B.

doi:10.1139/z84-064

Cited by 16 publications

(9 citation statements)

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“…Large differences can typify other taxa. In ungulates, adult sex ratios (ASR) may be as great as 1.42 males per female in agrimi (Capra aegargrus) or as few as 0.22 males per female in African buffalo (Syncerus caffer -Husband and Davis, 1984;Prins and Iason, 1989). Sex ratios based on predator kills also show marked discordance.…”

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confidence: 99%

Sex Ratios in Extant Ungulates: Products of Contemporary Predation or Past Life Histories?

Berger

Gompper

1999

Journal of Mammalogy

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Variation in mammalian adult sex ratios (ASR) is striking both within and among species. Darwin (1871) originally suggested that causes of variation included competition among males for females and predation. He also recognized that intensity of competition might be greater in species adorned with secondary sexual traits. Assuming that sexual dimorphism is a reasonable indicator of intrasexual competition, we predicted that ASR would become increasingly skewed among dimorphic species and this pattern would be exacerbated by the intensity of predation. With effects of common ancestry removed by computing phylogenetic ally independent contrasts, we failed to detect strong relationships between ASR and either sexual dimorphism or body mass of males or females. Presence of predators also had no consistent effect on these broader patterns, and even within Cervidae and Bovidae, there was not a solid relationship between dimorphism and ASR. The only generalized pattern that emerged was that males were killed disproportional to their abundance (74% of 31 species). However, differences between live and killed sex ratios in a popUlation were not correlated with female or male body mass or sexual dimorphism. Our results suggest that relationships between sexual dimorphism and mortality are not as straightforward as presumed. Nevertheless, at a proximate level, predation directly affects patterns of sex ratio variation among adult ungulates, but differences in survival of sexes may arise as a direct consequence of greater age-specific mortality among males, for which the ultimate cause is likely to be selection operating differently on males and females. A challenge for the future lies not so much in the separation of proximate from ultimate factors but in evaluating what, if any, life-history traits predispose sexes to differential mortality and the extent to which predation may shape these characteristics.Key words: predation, carnivores, ungulates, sex ratios, sexual selection, sexual dimorphism, large mammals Despite sex ratios at birth that approach parity, abundance of males and females in wild mammals at adulthood displays striking variation. In the dasyurid Antechinus swainsonii, the skew in sex ratio is at times so great that few or no adult males remain alive and the entire popUlation is made up of females, a pattern best explained by abrupt post-mating mortality of males ::51 year of age and before the synchronized birthing season, and female survival for ::53 years (Cockburn et al., 1985). Among por- (Mills, 1990;Schaller, 1972). Perhaps the most profound gender-specific skew due to predation is in African buffalo where 7.3 males were preyed on for every female or in reedbuck (Redunca redunca) where only females were killed (Schaller, 1972). Why sexes differ in abundance at sites not affected by humans is a continuing source of evolutionary, ecological, and economic interest. Darwin (1871:232) commented that "the practice of polygamy leads to the same results as would follow from an actual inequality in the num...

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confidence: 99%

Sex Ratios in Extant Ungulates: Products of Contemporary Predation or Past Life Histories?

Berger

Gompper

1999

Journal of Mammalogy

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“…In 1928In , 1937In and 1945, 1 breeding pair of agrimi were taken from the Samaria population and introduced into a reserve on Theodorou Island ( Fig. 2b) (Schultze-Westrum, 1963;Papageorgiou, 1974;Husband & Davis, 1984;Nicholson & Husband, 1992). In 1975, as part of a programme to save endangered species and to re-introduce wildlife that had once inhabited the region, 6 agrimi were brought to Israel from Theodorou Island and held in captivity in the Hai-Bar Reserve on Mount Carmel ( Fig.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Today agrimi herds are restricted to Samaria Gorge in the White Mountains, Western Crete (numbering some 500 animals in 1996), and three off-shore islands: Theodorou (c. 70 animals in 1996), Dia (c. 300 animals) and Agli Pandes (c. 90 animals) (Papageorgiou, 1974;Husband, 1977;Porter, 1996) (Fig. 2).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Genetic evidence for the origin of the agrimi goat (Capra aegagrus cretica)

et al. 2002

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The agrimi goat Capra aegagrus cretica is unique to Crete and its offshore islands. It has been identi®ed as a sub-species of the wild bezoar goat Capra aegagrus aegagrus Erxleben, 1777, which it closely resembles in horn shape, body form and coloration. This classi®cation has been disputed by some researchers who claim that the agrimi are feral goats, derived from early domestic stock brought to the island by the ®rst Neolithic settlers. In order to clarify this issue, DNA analyses (cytochrome b and D loop sequences) were carried out on tissue of live and skeletonized agrimi and compared to sequences of wild and domestic caprines. Results conclusively show the agrimi to be a feral animal, that clades with domestic goats (Capra hircus) rather than with wild Asiatic bezoar. This study demonstrates that morphometric criteria do not necessarily re¯ect genetic af®nities, and that the taxonomic classi®cation of agrimi should be revised.

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“…Une fagon d'uniformiser cet echantillonnage a ete de ponderer toutes les variables en une unite d'effort ; pour cela, on a utilise le nombre de bouquetins observes par heure d'echantillonnage (Husband et Davies 1984 De meme, on a constate que pendant la duree des observations, le nombre de contacts avec des bouquetins est en relation avec la temperature de l'environnement, tout en ayant une distribution normale (x = 8,72 ; ds = 10,1) : des temperatures negatives et au-dessus de 25 °C, les contacts sont minimaux ; ils augmentent considerablement aux environs de 10 °C (Fig. 3).…”

Section: Methodologieunclassified

Différences saisonnières dans la répartition des activités quotidiennes du bouquetin, Capra pyrenaica, de Cazorla

Fandós¹

1988

Mammalia

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During a general and systematic sample, using the frequencies of specimens which were doing one of the more frequent activities : eating, moving, resting, it is described for the Spanish ibex (Capra pyrenaica Schinz, 1838) the tendancy to do these activities at different hours of the day, according to the seasons of the year. In winter, activities that involve movements are done during the central hours of the day, meanwhile in summer, on contrary, the ibex uses the dark and twilight hours as well as the sunrise period. The reason of those differences can be found in the temperature, having been checked that there is a dependence between temperature of the environment and general activity.Resume. -A Poccasion d'un echantillonnage general et systematique, on a observe des bouquetins (Capra pyrenaica Schinz, 1838) au cours de leurs activites les plus souvent repetees : prise de nourriture, deplacement et repos, et on a constate leur tendance a realiser plus frequemment ces activites ä differentes heures de la journee suivant la saison. En hiver, les activites qui impliquent des mouvements sont realisees au milieu de la journee, alors qu'en etc, au contraire, le bouquetin de Cazorla se deplace pendant la nuit ainsi qu'au lever et au coucher du soleil. Ces differences peuvent etre liees ä la temperature, puisqu'il existe une relation entre la temperature de Penvironnement et Pactivite generate.

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Ecology and behavior of the Cretan agrimi

Cited by 16 publications

References 7 publications

Sex Ratios in Extant Ungulates: Products of Contemporary Predation or Past Life Histories?

Sex Ratios in Extant Ungulates: Products of Contemporary Predation or Past Life Histories?

Genetic evidence for the origin of the agrimi goat (Capra aegagrus cretica)

Différences saisonnières dans la répartition des activités quotidiennes du bouquetin, Capra pyrenaica, de Cazorla

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