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Maternal effects on post-weaning physical and social development in juvenile mountain goats (Oreamnos americanus)

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Abstract

Little is known about maternal effects on post-weaning development, yet they may be important because maternal care could have long-term consequences only evident when offspring approach adulthood. We have assessed the effects of maternal age, current reproduction (presence of a kid of the year) and social rank on the body mass, horn length and social rank of 1- and 2-year-old mountain goats (Oreamnos americanus). Maternal reproductive status and social rank did not affect the mass or horn length of either yearlings or 2-year-olds. Maternal age was positively correlated with yearling body mass for males but not females. We could not detect any maternal age effects on body mass of 2-year-olds. Maternal age and spring forage quality were positively correlated with horn length of yearlings of both sexes, but not of 2-year-olds. Juvenile females showed compensatory growth in mass between 1 and 2 years of age, but males did not. Neither sex showed compensatory growth in horn length. None of the maternal characteristics we examined directly affected the social rank of juveniles, which increased with body mass. Social rank in female mountain goats seems to be established early in life and maintained to adulthood. By affecting yearling development, maternal age could affect the reproductive success of males.

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Acknowledgements

This research was supported by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC), the Alberta Conservation Association (ACA), the Challenge Grants in Biodiversity Program from the University of Alberta, the Rocky Mountain Goat Foundation, the Alberta Wildlife Enhancement Fund, the Alberta Sports Recreation Parks and Wildlife Foundation and the Fonds FQRNT (Québec). We are grateful to S. Hamel, S. Rioux and many others for assistance with the field work. We appreciated the long-term logistic support of the Alberta Fish and Wildlife Division, particularly K.G. Smith and D. Hobson. B. Steele helped with the statistical analyses. J. Mainguy, F. Pelletier, S. Hamel, S. de Bellefeuille, B. Shipley, and D. Thomas kindly reviewed an earlier draft of this manuscript. This research project was approved by the Animal Care Committee of the University of Sherbrooke, affiliated with the Canadian Council for Animal Care

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Département de Biologie, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC, J1K 2R1, Canada

    Yanick Gendreau & Marco Festa-Bianchet

  2. Département de Biologie and Centre d’études nordiques, Université Laval, Québec, QC, G1K 7P4, Canada

    Steeve D. Côté

Authors
  1. Yanick Gendreau
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  2. Steeve D. Côté
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  3. Marco Festa-Bianchet
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Correspondence to Steeve D. Côté.

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Communicated by E. Korpimäki

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Gendreau, Y., Côté, S.D. & Festa-Bianchet, M. Maternal effects on post-weaning physical and social development in juvenile mountain goats (Oreamnos americanus). Behav Ecol Sociobiol 58, 237–246 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00265-005-0938-2

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