10.5061/DRYAD.RG078HD
Markussen, Stine S.
Norwegian University of Science and Technology
Herfindal, Ivar
Norwegian University of Science and Technology
Loison, Anne
Norwegian Institute for Nature Research
Solberg, Erling J.
Norwegian Institute for Nature Research
Haanes, Hallvard
The Norwegian Radiation Protection Authority (NRPA); Oslo Norway
Røed, Knut H.
Norwegian University of Life Sciences
Heim, Morten
Norwegian Institute for Nature Research
Sæther, Bernt-Erik
Norwegian University of Science and Technology
Saether, Bernt-Erik
Norwegian University of Science and Technology
Data from: Determinants of age at first reproduction and lifetime breeding
success revealed by full paternity assignment in a male ungulate
Dryad
dataset
2018
individual heterogeneity
Alces alces
2018-09-05T15:17:53Z
2018-09-05T15:17:53Z
en
https://doi.org/10.1111/oik.05494
9250 bytes
1
CC0 1.0 Universal (CC0 1.0) Public Domain Dedication
Age at first reproduction is an important determinant of individual
variation in reproductive success in ungulates, but few studies have
examined its relationship with later fitness-related traits in males. We
used a long-term individual based study of a harvested moose population to
quantify the individual reproductive performance and survival of males, as
well as to examine the determinants of age at first reproduction and
consequences of age at first reproduction on lifetime breeding success.
The probability that a male successfully reproduced at the age of two was
negatively related to the mean age of adult males in the population, but
the relationship weakened with increasing population size. Large antlers
and large body mass relative to other males in the population increased
the number of calves sired at their first successful mating season. In
addition, those that successfully reproduced as two year-olds were more
likely to sire calves the next year, making them more productive at a
given age compared to those that first reproduced at the age of three or
older. We emphasize the importance for males to start reproducing as soon
as possible in a harvested population to gain lifetime fitness benefits,
as surviving the hunt is a major determinant of reproductive success in
this population. We found no costs of early reproduction in males, hence
leading to high individual heterogeneity in male reproductive performance.
The apparent lack of reproductive costs could partly be explained by the
age distribution in the population, individual variation in early-life
body mass and antler size, and differences in probabilities of being
killed during hunt between successful and unsuccessful males.
Vegamales_esurgeInput file for E-SURGE for male moose at Vega, Norway,
1984-2012.
Norway