Social and life history correlates of litter size in captive colonies of precocial spiny mice (Acomys) |
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| Authors: | Daniel Frynta Marcela Fraňková Barbora Čížková Hana Skarlandtová Katarina Galeštoková Klára Průšová Petr Šmilauer Radim Šumbera |
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| Affiliation: | 1.Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science,Charles University,Prague,Czech Republic;2.Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science,University of South Bohemia,?eské Budějovice,Czech Republic;3.Department of Ecosystem Biology, Faculty of Science,University of South Bohemia,?eské Budějovice,Czech Republic;4.Crop Research Institute,Prague 6,Czech Republic;5.Institute of Physiology, First Faculty of Medicine,Charles University,Prague 2,Czech Republic;6.Department of Zoology, Faculty of Natural Science,Charles University,Prague 2,Czech Republic |
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| Abstract: | Litter size is an important component of life history contributing to reproductive success in many animals. Among muroid rodents, spiny mice of the genus Acomys are exceptional because they produce large precocial offspring after a long gestation. We analyzed data on 1,809 litters from laboratory colonies of spiny mice from the cahirinus-dimidiatus group: Acomys cahirinus, Acomys cilicicus, Acomys sp. (Iran), and Acomys dimidiatus. Generalized mixed-effect models revealed that litter size increased with maternal body weight and/or number of immature females present in the family group. Thus, both maternal body reserves and presence of immature descendants demonstrating previous reproductive success enhance further reproduction in this social rodent. |
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