12/28/2023 0 Comments Moose predators to wolves![]() “The management and conservation of wolves is controversial among the public. This finding supports the idea that predation can regulate the health of prey populations, and has implications for the management and conservation of wolf populations. “The decline in osteoarthritis following years with more predation is – we think – because wolves preferentially removed moose with osteoarthritis from the population,” said Hoy.įurthermore, because osteoarthritis is influenced by genetic factors, these results highlight how wolf predation may be acting as a selective force against genes associated with developing severe osteoarthritis as a prime-aged adult. This indicates that predation by wolves was resulting in an overall healthier moose population, in terms of osteoarthritis in particular. ![]() When the researchers examined how temporal variation in kill rates was associated with the subsequent incidence of osteoarthritis in the moose population, they found that, over a 33-year period, osteoarthritis in the moose population decreased following years with higher kill rates. While older moose are more vulnerable to predation, that vulnerability does not strongly depend on whether an old moose has osteoarthritis,” explained Hoy. “But the situation is different for older moose. The presence of severe osteoarthritis symptoms, but not mild or moderate symptoms, increased the vulnerability of prime-aged moose to predation. ![]() However, among the prime-aged individuals that were killed by wolves, many showed evidence of severe osteoarthritis. “When it comes to wolves and moose, it makes a lot of sense that wolves would preferentially target moose that are in poorer condition because adult moose weigh between 800 and 900lbs which is between eight and 10 times as heavy as a wolf,” said Hoy. The researchers found, as expected, that wolves preyed preferentially on elderly moose and avoided prime-aged adults. “Osteoarthritis is a progressively crippling disease caused by deterioration of cartilage on the surfaces of moveable joints (for example, knees and hip joints),” explained Hoy. “As individuals get older, they are more likely to develop osteoarthritis and develop more severe forms of the disease.” Its presence can be detected by analysis of skeletal remains. Osteoarthritis is a chronic, non-communicable disease that affects the ability of an individual to move with ease. The researchers assessed the extent to which wolves in the Isle Royale National Park, near Michigan’s border with Canada, select moose ( Alces alces) on the basis of their age and the presence of osteoarthritis in their joints. ![]() “However, a rigorous assessment of that idea has not been tested until now.” “Wolf biologists have in the past assumed that wolves play an important role in regulating the health of prey populations by selectively removing old or diseased animals,” said Dr Sarah Hoy, of Michigan Technological University. In a new study, published today in the journal Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution, researchers from Michigan Technological University report that predation by wolves may be beneficial to prey populations in another, more unexpected way. This assumption, however, is seldom tested scientifically. It is also widely accepted that predators keep prey populations healthy by selectively removing individuals that are old, weak, sick or injured.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |