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Factors affecting pup growth and survival in co-operatively breeding meerkats Suricata suricatta
Citation
Russell, AF and Clutton-Brock, TH and Brotherton, PNM and Sharpe, LL and McIlrath, GM and Dalerum, FD and Cameron, EZ and Barnard, JA, Factors affecting pup growth and survival in co-operatively breeding meerkats Suricata suricatta, Journal of Animal Ecology, 71, (4) pp. 700-709. ISSN 0021-8790 (2002) [Refereed Article]
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Copyright Statement
The definitive published version is available online at: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/
Official URL: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/
DOI: doi:10.1046/j.1365-2656.2002.00636.x
Abstract
1.
We examined the relative importance of maternal, environmental and social factors
for post-weaning pup growth and survival in a co-operatively breeding mammal, the
meerkat
Suricata suricatta
.
2.
Pup daily weight gain was primarily influenced by the number of carers per pup and
the daily weight gain of those carers. Rainfall and daily temperatures had additional
positive and negative effects, respectively, on weight gain of pups born to subordinates.
3.
Pup overnight weight loss was primarily influenced by the amount of weight pups
gained during the day, and their age. However, pups also lost considerably more weight
overnight when temperatures were cold, although such effects were less in large groups.
4.
Pup growth rates were positively influenced by the number of carers per pup and
carer condition, and negatively influenced by high daytime temperatures.
5.
Pup weight at independence was positively associated with weight at emergence and
pup weight gain during provisioning, but negatively associated with the extent of over-
night weight loss.
6.
Pup survival between emergence and independence was related to maternal status,
pup sex and overnight weight loss, as well as to group size, daytime temperature and
monthly rainfall.
7.
Thus, in meerkats, social factors largely, but not wholly, replace the importance of
maternal factors that are commonly found to govern reproductive success in non-
co-operatively breeding social vertebrates.
Item Details
| Item Type: | Refereed Article |
|---|---|
| Keywords: | condition;helpers;kin selection;maternal;social;weight |
| Research Division: | Biological Sciences |
| Research Group: | Zoology |
| Research Field: | Animal Developmental and Reproductive Biology |
| Objective Division: | Environment |
| Objective Group: | Control of Pests, Diseases and Exotic Species |
| Objective Field: | Control of Pests, Diseases and Exotic Species not elsewhere classified |
| UTAS Author: | Cameron, EZ (Professor Elissa Cameron) |
| ID Code: | 71264 |
| Year Published: | 2002 |
| Web of Science® Times Cited: | 129 |
| Deposited By: | Zoology |
| Deposited On: | 2011-07-12 |
| Last Modified: | 2011-07-13 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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