The adaptive value of morphological, behavioural and life-history traits in reproductive female wolves
Stahler DR, MacNulty DR, Wayne RK, vonHoldt B, Smith DW. 2013. The adaptive value of morphological, behavioural and life-history traits in reproductive female wolves. Journal of Animal Ecology. 82(1):222-234
Reproduction in social organisms is shaped by numerous morphological, behavioural and life-history traits such as body size, cooperative breeding and age of reproduction, respectively. Little is known, however, about the relative influence of these different types of traits on reproduction, particularly in the context of environmental conditions that determine their adaptive value. Here, we use 14 years of data from a long-term study of wolves (Canis lupus) in Yellowstone National Park, USA, to evaluate the relative effects of different traits and ecological factors on the reproductive performance (litter size and survival) of breeding females.
- Type
- Journal Article
- Authors
- Stahler, Daniel; MacNulty, Daniel; Wayne, Robert; vonHoldt, Bridgett; Smith, Douglas
- Units
- YELL
- Keywords
- body mass, canine distemper virus, coat colour, cooperative breeding, density dependence, disease, group size, large carnivores, senescence, sociality
- Subjects
- Ecological Framework: Biological Integrity | Infestations and Disease | Animal Diseases , Ecological Framework: Biological Integrity | Focal Species or Communities | Mammals