Abstracts » Zoology and wildlife conservation

Hunting by male lions: ecological influences and socioecological implications

Article Abstract:

A study was conducted to examine the ecological and socioecological factors that cause male lions at the Kruger National Park in Africa to spend little time with their pride females to hunt by themselves. Results suggested that the hunting behavior of male lions is strongly influenced by the vegetations structure. Territorial male lions tend to group with pride females in open systems during abundance of vegetation since preys are more available and hunting is more successful. They to tend to hunt by themselves in wooded areas when vegetation is scarce.

Natural history, Predation (Biology), Lions, Kruger National Park, South Africa

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Shift in investment between sexually selected traits: tarnishing of the silver spoon

Article Abstract:

Research was conducted to study the effect of experimental manipulations of food availability on sword growth and body growth in the male green swordtails, Xiphophorus helleri. Males were removed from communal male-only aquaria to test for female preference for male body size. The animals were housed with conspecifics and fed ad libitum until sexual maturity. Results showed that when food is a plentiful resource, the male swordtails exhibited a condition-dependent trait by investing in body growth and sword growth.

Xiphophorus

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Ecological constraints, life history traits and the evolution of cooperative breeding

Article Abstract:

A new study reviews and evaluates the evidence that exists for the ecological constraints theory and discusses whether the life history model gives a valid reason for the use of cooperative breeding in some bird species and not others.

Breeding

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