Reproductive success in female mountain goats: the influence of age and social rank

2001 ◽  
Vol 62 (1) ◽  
pp. 173-181 ◽  
Author(s):  
Steeve D. Côté ◽  
Marco Festa-Bianchet
2002 ◽  
Vol 51 (3) ◽  
pp. 245-254 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dietrich von Holst ◽  
Hans Hutzelmeyer ◽  
Paul Kaetzke ◽  
Martin Khaschei ◽  
Heiko Rödel ◽  
...  

1991 ◽  
Vol 69 (12) ◽  
pp. 2956-2961 ◽  
Author(s):  
James A. Bailey

Kid production by marked females, age ratios from a 24-year study, and the literature are used to evaluate hypotheses that three intrinsic and three extrinsic factors affect reproduction by female Rocky Mountain goats (Oreamnos americanus). On Sheep Mountain – Gladstone Ridge, Colorado, mountain goat age ratios declined while the herd grew during 1966–1979, and continued to decline with population stability during 1980–1989, suggesting a continued increase in ecological density of goats 39 years after they were introduced in 1950. Among intrinsic factors, age and persisting individual characteristics have influenced reproductive success of females. Reproductive success in any year has not limited success in the following year, except in 4-year-olds. Among extrinsic factors, reproductive success of female mountain goats has been negatively influenced by density or ecological density and by snowpack during gestation. Reproductive success of females may have been positively influenced by snowpack that enhanced forage conditions prior to breeding. The relative importance of these six factors in determining reproductive success of females may vary among and (temporally) within herds. Most hypotheses regarding reproductive success in female mountain goats remain poorly tested. Short-term observational studies hold little promise for testing hypotheses, owing to large among-years variation in reproductive success. Long-term, intensive observational studies, or manipulative experiments, are suggested.


2009 ◽  
Vol 57 (6) ◽  
pp. 409 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. K. Caudron ◽  
S. S. Negro ◽  
M. Fowler ◽  
L. Boren ◽  
P. Poncin ◽  
...  

In polygynous mammals, the status of many males does not allow them to have a high social rank and theory predicts selection for alternative mating tactics. Alternative tactics were suggested to explain discrepancies between mating and paternity successes in several pinniped species. However, information on alternative tactics in fur seals is limited. Here, we focus on the polygynous New Zealand fur seal, Arctocephalus forsteri, predicting that competition for females is likely to cause a diversification of male mating tactics and that non-territorial tactics can yield reproductive success. We describe the behaviour of 38 males in a medium to large colony. Paternity success was assessed using CERVUS and PASOS, from a pool of 82 pups sampled at the study site and at neighbouring breeding areas. To see whether size is correlated with mating tactic, the length of 17 males was estimated using photogrammetry. Cluster analysis identified three male behavioural profiles: one corresponding to large territorial males and two illustrating alternative tactics employed by smaller non-territorial males. Of the 13 pups born at the study site that were assigned a father, eight were sired by three territorial males and five were sired by non-territorial males. Our study highlights that holding a territory is not a necessary condition for reproductive success in all otariids.


2007 ◽  
Vol 90 (1) ◽  
pp. 85-95 ◽  
Author(s):  
KRISTIN A. SCHUBERT ◽  
DANIEL J. MENNILL ◽  
SCOTT M. RAMSAY ◽  
KEN A. OTTER ◽  
PETER T. BOAG ◽  
...  

Author(s):  
R. Jan de Ruiter ◽  
Wolfgang Scheffrahn ◽  
J. J. M. Trommelen Gerjan ◽  
G. Uitterlinden Andr� ◽  
D. Martin Robert ◽  
...  

2008 ◽  
Vol 89 (3) ◽  
pp. 626-635 ◽  
Author(s):  
Julien Mainguy ◽  
Steeve D. Côté ◽  
Etienne Cardinal ◽  
Mélina Houle

Behaviour ◽  
2000 ◽  
Vol 137 (11) ◽  
pp. 1541-1566 ◽  
Author(s):  
Steeve Côté

AbstractTo investigate the importance of dominance relationships in the social organization of large mammals, I studied the aggressive behaviour of marked adult female mountain goats (Oreamnos americanus) during four years in west-central Alberta, Canada. Despite large group size, the 38-45 adult females in the population were organized in a strong and very stable linear hierarchy. Social rank was strongly related to age and did not decrease for the oldest females. The presence of a kid did not affect the aggressive behaviour of females, suggesting that aggressiveness probably did not evolve for offspring defense in mountain goats. Initiators won most encounters, except when the receiver was an older female. When age was accounted for, body mass, horn length, and body size were not related to female rank. A new measure of aggressiveness, controlling for the number of opportunities for interactions, revealed that aggressiveness towards younger adult females increased with both age and social rank. On the other hand, age and social rank did not affect aggressiveness towards other females of the same age or older. Goats interacted more often with individuals of similar ranks than with individuals that were distant in the dominance hierarchy. Social rank of adult daughters was not related to the social rank of mothers. Although central positions in a group may decrease predation risk, dominant females did not occupy central positions more often than subordinates. Because age was the main determinant of rank, the only effective way to increase social rank was to survive.


Behaviour ◽  
1994 ◽  
Vol 129 (3-4) ◽  
pp. 149-176 ◽  
Author(s):  
J.P. Hearn ◽  
K.A. Bauers

AbstractThe macaques have been a central focus of research designed to illuminate the interrelationship of behaviour and patterns of genetic transmission in non-human primates. Due to unique aspects of the socio-sexual behaviour and reproductive biology of stumptailed macaques (Macaca arctoides), we hypothesized a stronger relationship between male status and reproductive success than has been documented in other macaque species. The relationship between male social rank and success in siring offspring was examined for a sequence of 27 infants born over an 8-year period (1984-1992) in a large captive social group. Paternity of 25 of the 27 infants (all those still living at the time of testing) was confirmed with the use of "DNA profile tests" using mini-satellite, multi-locus probes in collaboration with Drs. CASNA and GERGITS of Therion Corp. Results showed that each of three consecutive alpha males was effective in achieving a virtual monopoly in siring offspring during his tenure, with one exception possibly related to inbreeding avoidance. Although patterns of sexual behaviour are not emphasized in this report, behavioural observations over the past six years support the findings of other researchers regarding the


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