Twinning and fetal sex ratio in moose: effects of maternal age and mass

• Published in: Canadian Journal of Zoology
• Main Authors: Nygrén, T., Kojola, I.
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Canadian Science Publishing 1997
• Subjects: Animal Science and Zoology; Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics; Alces alces
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/z97-825; http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/doi/pdf/10.1139/z97-825

To evaluate hypotheses concerning the effects of maternal characteristics on litter size and offspring sex ratio in a polygynous mammal, we examined how female age and mass affected the number and sex ratio of fetuses in moose (Alces alces). We analysed 420 fetuses collected from 297 females killed in Finland. Females that carried two fetuses were older than females with one fetus, while mass did not affect litter size. Sex ratio was not conclusively linked with maternal quality. The overall lack of difference in the sex ratio (no male bias among fetuses carried by the heaviest females) can be explained by the rather low degree of polygyny and the lack of intense female – female competition for a limited food supply (no female bias among fetuses carried by the heaviest females).