Reproduction in mammalian predator and prey : the effects of allometry, phylogeny, and ecology on reproduction in Canidae and Leporidae

Mammalian reproduction is influenced by three factors: allometry (the effect of body size), phylogeny (the effect of ancestral relationships), and ecology (the effect of interactions between organisms and their environment). The relationship between arctic wolf (Canis lupus) pack size and arctic har...

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Main Author: Pielmeier, Katherine Greer
Format: Text
Language:English
Published: Smith ScholarWorks 2015
Subjects:
Online Access:https://scholarworks.smith.edu/theses/216
https://scholarworks.smith.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1293&context=theses
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spelling ftsmithcollege:oai:scholarworks.smith.edu:theses-1293 2023-05-15T14:31:31+02:00 Reproduction in mammalian predator and prey : the effects of allometry, phylogeny, and ecology on reproduction in Canidae and Leporidae Pielmeier, Katherine Greer 2015-04-03T07:00:00Z application/pdf https://scholarworks.smith.edu/theses/216 https://scholarworks.smith.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1293&context=theses English eng Smith ScholarWorks https://scholarworks.smith.edu/theses/216 https://scholarworks.smith.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1293&context=theses Theses, Dissertations, and Projects Canidae-Reproduction Canidae-Growth Canidae-Phylogeny Canidae-Ecology Leporidae-Reproduction Leporidae-Growth Leporidae-Phylogeny Leporidae-Ecology Allometry Phylogeny Litter size Neonate Neonatal Altricial Gestation Lactation Mammalian reproduction Predator-prey Reproductive strategy Lagamorpha Litter mass Reproduction suppression Prococial Nesting Denning Burrow Parturition Altruism Alloparenting Biology text 2015 ftsmithcollege 2022-02-25T08:37:56Z Mammalian reproduction is influenced by three factors: allometry (the effect of body size), phylogeny (the effect of ancestral relationships), and ecology (the effect of interactions between organisms and their environment). The relationship between arctic wolf (Canis lupus) pack size and arctic hare (Lepus arcticus) reproduction is well researched; the biomass of available arctic hare prey, an aspect of ecology, is considered the primary factor affecting the size of arctic wolf populations (Mech, 2007). However, Mech (2007) posited that in different regions, the primary factor of predator-prey dynamics might take different forms. The goal of this research was to determine the primary factor, allometry, phylogeny, or ecology, affecting the reproductive patterns of all Canidae and Leporidae in regions across the world rather than in just the arctic. Reproductive variables included litter size, neonatal mass, litter mass, gestation, and lactation. The primary factor of litter size was undetermined. The primary factor of both neonatal mass and litter mass is allometry. The primary factor of gestation appears to be allometry, although phylogeny and ecology also have an effect. Finally, the primary factor of lactation is uncertain; phylogeny and ecology both have an effect. Ecology appears to have a greater impact on species in harsh habitats; the data suggest not only arctic species have distinct reproductive patterns but also desert species. However, ecology has little effect on reproduction in species from less extreme, temperate habitats. Text Arctic hare Arctic Canis lupus Lepus arcticus Smith College: Smith ScholarWorks Arctic
institution Open Polar
collection Smith College: Smith ScholarWorks
op_collection_id ftsmithcollege
language English
topic Canidae-Reproduction
Canidae-Growth
Canidae-Phylogeny
Canidae-Ecology
Leporidae-Reproduction
Leporidae-Growth
Leporidae-Phylogeny
Leporidae-Ecology
Allometry
Phylogeny
Litter size
Neonate
Neonatal
Altricial
Gestation
Lactation
Mammalian reproduction
Predator-prey
Reproductive strategy
Lagamorpha
Litter mass
Reproduction suppression
Prococial
Nesting
Denning
Burrow
Parturition
Altruism
Alloparenting
Biology
spellingShingle Canidae-Reproduction
Canidae-Growth
Canidae-Phylogeny
Canidae-Ecology
Leporidae-Reproduction
Leporidae-Growth
Leporidae-Phylogeny
Leporidae-Ecology
Allometry
Phylogeny
Litter size
Neonate
Neonatal
Altricial
Gestation
Lactation
Mammalian reproduction
Predator-prey
Reproductive strategy
Lagamorpha
Litter mass
Reproduction suppression
Prococial
Nesting
Denning
Burrow
Parturition
Altruism
Alloparenting
Biology
Pielmeier, Katherine Greer
Reproduction in mammalian predator and prey : the effects of allometry, phylogeny, and ecology on reproduction in Canidae and Leporidae
topic_facet Canidae-Reproduction
Canidae-Growth
Canidae-Phylogeny
Canidae-Ecology
Leporidae-Reproduction
Leporidae-Growth
Leporidae-Phylogeny
Leporidae-Ecology
Allometry
Phylogeny
Litter size
Neonate
Neonatal
Altricial
Gestation
Lactation
Mammalian reproduction
Predator-prey
Reproductive strategy
Lagamorpha
Litter mass
Reproduction suppression
Prococial
Nesting
Denning
Burrow
Parturition
Altruism
Alloparenting
Biology
description Mammalian reproduction is influenced by three factors: allometry (the effect of body size), phylogeny (the effect of ancestral relationships), and ecology (the effect of interactions between organisms and their environment). The relationship between arctic wolf (Canis lupus) pack size and arctic hare (Lepus arcticus) reproduction is well researched; the biomass of available arctic hare prey, an aspect of ecology, is considered the primary factor affecting the size of arctic wolf populations (Mech, 2007). However, Mech (2007) posited that in different regions, the primary factor of predator-prey dynamics might take different forms. The goal of this research was to determine the primary factor, allometry, phylogeny, or ecology, affecting the reproductive patterns of all Canidae and Leporidae in regions across the world rather than in just the arctic. Reproductive variables included litter size, neonatal mass, litter mass, gestation, and lactation. The primary factor of litter size was undetermined. The primary factor of both neonatal mass and litter mass is allometry. The primary factor of gestation appears to be allometry, although phylogeny and ecology also have an effect. Finally, the primary factor of lactation is uncertain; phylogeny and ecology both have an effect. Ecology appears to have a greater impact on species in harsh habitats; the data suggest not only arctic species have distinct reproductive patterns but also desert species. However, ecology has little effect on reproduction in species from less extreme, temperate habitats.
format Text
author Pielmeier, Katherine Greer
author_facet Pielmeier, Katherine Greer
author_sort Pielmeier, Katherine Greer
title Reproduction in mammalian predator and prey : the effects of allometry, phylogeny, and ecology on reproduction in Canidae and Leporidae
title_short Reproduction in mammalian predator and prey : the effects of allometry, phylogeny, and ecology on reproduction in Canidae and Leporidae
title_full Reproduction in mammalian predator and prey : the effects of allometry, phylogeny, and ecology on reproduction in Canidae and Leporidae
title_fullStr Reproduction in mammalian predator and prey : the effects of allometry, phylogeny, and ecology on reproduction in Canidae and Leporidae
title_full_unstemmed Reproduction in mammalian predator and prey : the effects of allometry, phylogeny, and ecology on reproduction in Canidae and Leporidae
title_sort reproduction in mammalian predator and prey : the effects of allometry, phylogeny, and ecology on reproduction in canidae and leporidae
publisher Smith ScholarWorks
publishDate 2015
url https://scholarworks.smith.edu/theses/216
https://scholarworks.smith.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1293&context=theses
geographic Arctic
geographic_facet Arctic
genre Arctic hare
Arctic
Canis lupus
Lepus arcticus
genre_facet Arctic hare
Arctic
Canis lupus
Lepus arcticus
op_source Theses, Dissertations, and Projects
op_relation https://scholarworks.smith.edu/theses/216
https://scholarworks.smith.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1293&context=theses
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