Effects of helpers on juvenile development and survival in meerkats
Effects of helpers on juvenile development and survival in meerkats
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DOI：
10.1126/science.1061274
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发表时间：
2001-09-28
期刊：
影响因子：
56.9
通讯作者：
Cameron, EZ
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Clutton-Brock, TH;Russell, AF;Cameron, EZ
虽然繁殖的成功是已知的，在几个合作的哺乳动物群体的大小增加，这些关系的机制是不确定的。我们发现，在野生群体的合作猫鼬，Suricata suricatta，减少的比例的助手，幼崽抑制每日体重增加和增长的幼崽和每日体重增加的助手。幼崽日增重的增加与独立时和1岁时体重增加有关，也与幼年期觅食成功率提高和生命第一年存活率提高有关。这些结果表明，对健身的幼犬的助手的影响超出了断奶，助手可能会获得直接和间接的好处，喂养幼犬。
Although breeding success is known to increase with group size in several cooperative mammals, the mechanisms underlying these relationships are uncertain. We show that in wild groups of cooperative meerkats, Suricata suricatta, reductions in the ratio of helpers to pups depress the daily weight gain and growth of pups and the daily weight gain of helpers. Increases in the daily weight gain of pups are associated with heavier weights at independence and at 1 year of age, as well as with improved foraging success as juveniles and higher survival rates through the first year of life. These results suggest that the effects of helpers on the fitness of pups extend beyond weaning and that helpers may gain direct as well as indirect benefits by feeding pups.