Nadege Bonnot

Apr 22, 2024 | biorxiv.org | Jean-Michel Gaillard |Petter Kjellander |Aidan Jonathan Mark Hewison |Nadege Bonnot

AbstractIn most polygynous vertebrates, males must allocate energy to growing secondary sexual characteristics, such as ornaments or weapons, that they require to attract and defend potential mates, impacting body condition and potentially entailing fitness costs. We investigated sex differences in over winter body mass change across five intensively monitored populations of roe deer (Capreolus capreolus) with markedly contrasting environmental conditions.