Evidence for a male‐biased sex ratio in the offspring of a large herbivore: The role of environmental conditions in the sex ratio variation. Issue 5 (19th May 2022)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Hagen, Robert; Ortmann, Sylvia; Elliger, Andreas; Arnold, Janosch
• Is Part Of: Ecology and evolution. Volume 12:Issue 5(2022)
• Page Start: n/a
• Page End: n/a
• Publication Date: 2022-05-19
• Subjects: Capreolus capreolus -- effect size -- Europe -- fischer's principle -- meta‐analysis -- southern Germany; Ecology -- Periodicals; Evolution -- Periodicals; 577.05
• DOI: 10.1002/ece3.8938
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2045-7758

Abstract

Abstract: Numerous studies have examined whether the primary and/or secondary sex ratio in mammals, including humans, deviates from an equilibrium of 1:1. Although effect size in the sex ratio variation is expected to be low, a large sample size allows the identification of even small deviations from parity. In this study, we investigated whether the sex ratio of roe deer ( Capreolus capreolus ) offspring at birth approaches parity, using a large data set from roe deer offspring tagged in Baden‐Württemberg (Germany, 1972–2019, N = 12, 437). In addition, a systematic re‐analysis of available data on the secondary sex ratios of roe deer was conducted to test whether our finding withstood the accumulation of further data. The null hypothesis that the sex ratio of roe deer (prenatal sex ratio and sex ratio at birth) approaches parity was rejected. Moreover, the secondary sex ratio of roe deer offspring deviated from the male‐biased mean for relatively cold or warm weather conditions during autumn and winter. Our study provides strong evidence for a male‐biased sex ratio in a large herbivore and weak evidence for variations in the secondary sex ratio owing to environmental conditions. The pattern is highly relevant in the context of climate change and its impact on the population dynamics of large herbivores. Abstract : In this study, we showed that the secondary sex ratio of roe deer offspring is male biased and that the sex ratio deviated from the male‐biased mean during relatively cold or warm weather conditions during autumn and winter.