Shift in red fox, Vulpes vulpes, mating system associated with El Niño in the Bering Sea
Abstract. Fifteen reproductive groups of red foxes were observed on Round Island, Alaska during five field seasons. Polygyny occurred among these foxes, correlated with abundant food resources. The predictions of the polygyny threshold model were supported, i.e. polygynous females had equal or bette...
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ftciteseerx:oai:CiteSeerX.psu:10.1.1.165.4518 2023-05-15T15:43:34+02:00 Shift in red fox, Vulpes vulpes, mating system associated with El Niño in the Bering Sea Cynthia Jane Zabel Spencer James Taggart The Pennsylvania State University CiteSeerX Archives application/pdf http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.165.4518 http://www.fs.fed.us/psw/publications/zabel/zabel7.pdf en eng http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.165.4518 http://www.fs.fed.us/psw/publications/zabel/zabel7.pdf Metadata may be used without restrictions as long as the oai identifier remains attached to it. http://www.fs.fed.us/psw/publications/zabel/zabel7.pdf text ftciteseerx 2016-01-07T15:51:00Z Abstract. Fifteen reproductive groups of red foxes were observed on Round Island, Alaska during five field seasons. Polygyny occurred among these foxes, correlated with abundant food resources. The predictions of the polygyny threshold model were supported, i.e. polygynous females had equal or better reproductive success than monogamous females. However, beginning in 1982, widespread nesting failure of seabirds occurred (the primary prey item of the foxes), corresponding with the occurrence of El Niño in the Bering Sea. This change in food resources apparently caused red foxes to switch their diet from the most abundant to rarer prey species, and caused a shift from facultative polygyny to monogamy within this population. The polygyny threshold model was first developed to expain the evolution of avian mating systems (Verner 1964; Willson 1966; Orians 1969). This model predicts that the polygyny threshold is reached when a female pairing with an already mated male experiences reproductive success that is equal to or greater than a female pairing with an unmated male. The cost of sharing a male with a second female may be exceeded by the benefits which include occupying a superior territory, mating with a superior male, or cooperatively rearing offspring with another female (Emlen & Oring 1977; Wittenberger & Tilson 1980). Shifts from monogamy to facultative polygyny among avian species have been documented under ecological conditions predicted by the polygyny threshold Text Bering Sea Alaska Unknown Bering Sea Round Island ENVELOPE(68.806,68.806,-49.828,-49.828) |
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ftciteseerx |
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English |
description |
Abstract. Fifteen reproductive groups of red foxes were observed on Round Island, Alaska during five field seasons. Polygyny occurred among these foxes, correlated with abundant food resources. The predictions of the polygyny threshold model were supported, i.e. polygynous females had equal or better reproductive success than monogamous females. However, beginning in 1982, widespread nesting failure of seabirds occurred (the primary prey item of the foxes), corresponding with the occurrence of El Niño in the Bering Sea. This change in food resources apparently caused red foxes to switch their diet from the most abundant to rarer prey species, and caused a shift from facultative polygyny to monogamy within this population. The polygyny threshold model was first developed to expain the evolution of avian mating systems (Verner 1964; Willson 1966; Orians 1969). This model predicts that the polygyny threshold is reached when a female pairing with an already mated male experiences reproductive success that is equal to or greater than a female pairing with an unmated male. The cost of sharing a male with a second female may be exceeded by the benefits which include occupying a superior territory, mating with a superior male, or cooperatively rearing offspring with another female (Emlen & Oring 1977; Wittenberger & Tilson 1980). Shifts from monogamy to facultative polygyny among avian species have been documented under ecological conditions predicted by the polygyny threshold |
author2 |
The Pennsylvania State University CiteSeerX Archives |
format |
Text |
author |
Cynthia Jane Zabel Spencer James Taggart |
spellingShingle |
Cynthia Jane Zabel Spencer James Taggart Shift in red fox, Vulpes vulpes, mating system associated with El Niño in the Bering Sea |
author_facet |
Cynthia Jane Zabel Spencer James Taggart |
author_sort |
Cynthia Jane Zabel |
title |
Shift in red fox, Vulpes vulpes, mating system associated with El Niño in the Bering Sea |
title_short |
Shift in red fox, Vulpes vulpes, mating system associated with El Niño in the Bering Sea |
title_full |
Shift in red fox, Vulpes vulpes, mating system associated with El Niño in the Bering Sea |
title_fullStr |
Shift in red fox, Vulpes vulpes, mating system associated with El Niño in the Bering Sea |
title_full_unstemmed |
Shift in red fox, Vulpes vulpes, mating system associated with El Niño in the Bering Sea |
title_sort |
shift in red fox, vulpes vulpes, mating system associated with el niño in the bering sea |
url |
http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.165.4518 http://www.fs.fed.us/psw/publications/zabel/zabel7.pdf |
long_lat |
ENVELOPE(68.806,68.806,-49.828,-49.828) |
geographic |
Bering Sea Round Island |
geographic_facet |
Bering Sea Round Island |
genre |
Bering Sea Alaska |
genre_facet |
Bering Sea Alaska |
op_source |
http://www.fs.fed.us/psw/publications/zabel/zabel7.pdf |
op_relation |
http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.165.4518 http://www.fs.fed.us/psw/publications/zabel/zabel7.pdf |
op_rights |
Metadata may be used without restrictions as long as the oai identifier remains attached to it. |
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1766377740999589888 |