Ecological conditions experienced by offspring during pregnancy and early post-natal life determine mandible size in roe deer.

ABSTRACT: Population dynamics studies and harvesting strategies often take advantage of body size measurements. Selected elements of the skeletal system such as mandibles, are often used as retrospective indices to describe body size. The variation in mandibular measurements reflects the variation in the ecological context and hence the variation in animal performance. We investigated the length of the anterior and posterior sections of the mandible in relation to the conditions experienced by juveniles of 8-10 months of age during prenatal and early postnatal life and we evaluated these parameters as ecological indicators of juvenile condition as well as female reproductive condition in a roe deer population living in the southern part of the species range. We analyzed a sample of over 24,000 mandi

SUBMITTER: De Marinis AM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6738612 | biostudies-literature | 2019

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature