The predation cost of being a male: implications for sex-specific rates of ageing
The predation cost of being a male: implications for sex-specific rates of ageing
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DOI：
10.1111/j.2006.0030-1299.15130.x
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发表时间：
2006-08-01
期刊：
影响因子：
3.4
通讯作者：
Roulin, A.
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Christe, P.;Keller, L.;Roulin, A.
进化理论预测，外在（即与年龄和条件无关）死亡率应该影响重要的生活史特征，例如衰老速度和最长寿命。因此，由于捕食而导致的死亡率的性别差异可能导致男性和女性之间生活史特征的重要差异的演变。然而，在自然种群中，量化捕食者作为外在死亡率因素的作用是非常困难的。我们利用谷仓猫头鹰 Tyto alba 和黄褐色猫头鹰 Strix aluco 不寻常的猎物缓存行为来估计它们五种最常见猎物的性别比例。对于所有猎物物种，在这两种猫头鹰的巢中发现的遗骸的性别比例存在显着偏差。一项文献调查显示，性别偏见的掠夺是一种普遍现象。这些结果表明，捕食是外在死亡率的主要来源，具有强烈的性别偏见。这可能会选择雄性和雌性之间的替代生活史策略，并解释许多动物物种中雄性寿命经常低于雌性寿命。
Evolutionary theory predicts that the rate of extrinsic (i.e. age- and condition-independent) mortality should affect important life history traits such as the rate of ageing and maximum lifespan. Sex-specific differences in mortality rates due to predation may therefore result in the evolution of important differences in life history traits between males and females. However, quantifying the role of predators as a factor of extrinsic mortality is notoriously difficult in natural populations. We took advantage of the unusual prey caching behaviour of the barn owl Tyto alba and the tawny owl Strix aluco to estimate the sex ratio of their five most common preys. For all prey species, there was a significant bias in the sex ratio of remains found in nests of both these owls. A survey of literature revealed that sex-biased predation is a common phenomenon. These results demonstrate that predation, a chief source of extrinsic mortality, was strongly sex-biased. This may select for alternate life history strategies between males and females, and account for a male life span being frequently lower than female lifespan in many animal species.