人口密度影响红鹿的性别比例变化
L E Kruuk1, T H Clutton-Brock, S D Albon
1Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, UK. Loeske.Kruuk@ed.ac.uk
Nature
|June 12, 1999
概括
在高人口密度的红鹿中,母亲的主导地位不再影响后代的性别比率. 密度和降雨等环境因素会影响性别比率,可能通过胎儿损失,超过早期的植入前效应.
科学领域:
- 生态生态学 生态生态学
- 生殖生物学 生殖生物学
- 哺乳动物研究 哺乳动物研究
背景情况:
- 哺乳动物种群在出生时经常表现出扭曲的性别比,但这些模式是不一致的.
- 影响性别比率的多种机制可能存在,其影响由环境条件调节.
研究的目的:
- 调查环境条件,特别是人口密度如何影响红鹿 (Cervus elaphus) 中母亲主导地位和后代性别比率之间的关系.
- 探索因环境变化而导致性别比例变化的机制.
主要方法:
- 对红鹿种群的长期数据分析,重点关注性别比例,人口密度和冬季降雨等环境变量.
- 结果与有关类动物性别比率动态的现有文献进行比较.
主要成果:
- 之前观察到的适应性关系,即主导性雌性红鹿产生更多的雄鹿,在高人口密度下是不存在的.
- 后代的性别比 (男性的比例) 随着人口密度和冬季降雨量增加而下降,这是营养压力的指标.
- 这些变化与生育能力的降低相关,这表明胎儿的差异性损失是主要的机制.
结论:
- 环境因素,特别是与高密度和降雨相关的营养压力,可以取代影响性别比的植入前机制,例如母亲主导效应.
- 影响性别比率的主导机制可以在大约两代内发生变化.
- 母性质量和雄性后代比例之间的积极关联似乎仅限于低于承载能力的类动物种群.
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