Fluctuating asymmetry of red deer antlers negatively relates to individual condition and proximity to prime age

Martín, Concha Mateos; Alarcos, Susana; Carranza, Juan; Sánchez-Prieto, Cristina B.; Valencia, Juliana

doi:10.1016/j.anbehav.2007.10.016

Cited by 29 publications

(31 citation statements)

References 70 publications

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“…Previous studies of antler asymmetry have found positive relationships between fluctuating asymmetry and parasitism (Folstad et al 1996;Lagesen and Folstad 1998), and several studies (Bowyer et al 2001;Ditchkoff et al 2001b;Mateos et al 2008;Putman and Sullivan 2000) have reported support for Møller's (1992) hypothesized negative relationship between fluctuating asymmetry and trait size. Solberg and Saether (1993) further hypothesized a decrease in fluctuating asymmetry with increasing age because only higher quality males will survive to older ages.…”

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confidence: 86%

Assessing fluctuating asymmetry of white-tailed deer antlers in a three-dimensional context

Ditchkoff

deFreese

2010

J Mammal

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Fluctuating asymmetry, random departure from perfect symmetry in bilateral traits, has been proposed as an indirect indicator of individual quality. Sexually selected traits, such as deer antlers, are hypothesized to demonstrate decreasing level of fluctuating asymmetry with increasing trait size and decreasing level of fluctuating asymmetry with increasing age. These hypotheses have been previously tested for antlers using linear measurements to quantify fluctuating asymmetry. However, antlers are complex, 3-dimensional traits making it difficult to quantify all forms of visual asymmetry using traditional, linear measurements. It is this visual asymmetry that would be assessed by potential mates and rivals. Therefore, we created 3-dimensional computer models of white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) antlers to measure visual fluctuating asymmetry. Asymmetry measures of various antler traits were computed using the models by measuring distances from the trait to a vertical and horizontal plane created using coordinate points generated within the model. We found no association between degree of fluctuating asymmetry and trait size, nor was any association found between degree of fluctuating asymmetry and age using either the 3-dimensional measures of asymmetry or traditional, linear measures of asymmetry. Examination of these data suggests that fluctuating asymmetry of white-tailed deer antlers is not a reliable indicator of quality.

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confidence: 86%

Assessing fluctuating asymmetry of white-tailed deer antlers in a three-dimensional context

Ditchkoff

deFreese

2010

J Mammal

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“…The promise of an easily measured component of fitness has not borne out. The initial optimism has been replaced with skepticism, and the belief that fluctuating asymmetry is a weak measure of developmental instability, and consequently a poor measure of individual fitness [238,239,201,240]. The main problem is that with only two sides to a bilaterally symmetrical trait, only one degree of freedom is available to estimate a variance and a sample size n = 2 to estimate a mean absolute deviation.…”

Section: Fitnessmentioning

confidence: 99%

Fluctuating Asymmetry: Methods, Theory, and Applications

et al. 2010

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Fluctuating asymmetry consists of random deviations from perfect symmetry in populations of organisms. It is a measure of developmental noise, which reflects a population's average state of adaptation and coadaptation. Moreover, it increases under both environmental and genetic stress, though responses are often inconsistent. Researchers base studies of fluctuating asymmetry upon deviations from bilateral, radial, rotational, dihedral, translational, helical, and fractal symmetries. Here, we review old and new methods of measuring fluctuating asymmetry, including measures of dispersion, landmark methods for shape asymmetry, and continuous symmetry measures. We also review the theory, developmental origins, and applications of fluctuating asymmetry, and attempt to explain conflicting results. In the process, we present examples from the literature, and from our own research at "Evolution Canyon" and elsewhere.

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“…Although some of these studies have failed to find any association between FA and fitness (e.g. Pélabon and Joly 2000), most of them show a significant negative relationship between FA and surrogates of fitness such as body size, dominance or reproductive success Putman et al 2000;Côté and Festa-Bianchet 2001;Mateos et al 2008). Antler FA has been found to be related to both parasitisation (Folstad et al 1996) and immunity (Lagesen and Folstad 1998) in the reindeer (Rangifer tarandus).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 94%

Fluctuating asymmetry and blood parameters in three endangered gazelle species

Cuervo¹,

Dhaoui²,

Espeso³

2011

Mammalian Biology

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a b s t r a c tThere is currently no agreement about the suitability of fluctuating asymmetry (FA) as an estimate of individual quality. We investigated the relationship between FA and health, a proxy for individual quality, in captive populations of three endangered gazelle species: Gazella cuvieri, G. dama, and G. dorcas. FA indices including information from sexual (horns) and/or non-sexual ordinary traits were calculated for each individual. Health was assessed using 15 blood parameters, and inbreeding coefficient was also included in the analyses. In the three species, the FA index was significantly related to at least one blood parameter (platelets, mean platelet cell volume, albumin, and lactate dehydrogenase), with levels indicating unhealthy condition in more asymmetric individuals. The exception was the negative relationship between FA and aspartate aminotransferase in ordinary traits of G. cuvieri and G. dama. FA was related to different blood parameters in every species and type of trait. As a large number of diseases can cause abnormal blood parameter levels in humans, we assumed that this also might be the case in gazelles. In general, the results suggest that FA is related to health in the three gazelle species studied, and thus, we concluded that FA can provide useful information about individual quality.

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Fluctuating asymmetry of red deer antlers negatively relates to individual condition and proximity to prime age

Cited by 29 publications

References 70 publications

Assessing fluctuating asymmetry of white-tailed deer antlers in a three-dimensional context

Assessing fluctuating asymmetry of white-tailed deer antlers in a three-dimensional context

Fluctuating Asymmetry: Methods, Theory, and Applications

Fluctuating asymmetry and blood parameters in three endangered gazelle species

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