The Guardian Weekly

Extreme polygamy ‘driving elephant seals to early death’

Extreme polygamy may be driving male southern elephant seals to early deaths, new research suggests. A study of 14,000 southern elephant seals ( Mirounga leonina) at Macquarie Island in the southwestern Pacific, has found that while survival rates for males and females are roughly comparable for juveniles, male survival rapidly decreased after eight years of age, dropping to around a 50% survival rate, while female survival remained constant at 80%. Southern elephant seals differ significantly in size: adult males can weigh up to nearly five times that of adult females. The species exhibits “extreme polygyny”, in which a small proportion of the largest and most dominant males – known as beachmasters – control harems of breeding females. The study by a team from the University of Tasmania was published in the journal Royal Society Open Science.

Global Report

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2023-03-31T07:00:00.0000000Z

2023-03-31T07:00:00.0000000Z

https://theguardianweekly.pressreader.com/article/281788518318759

Guardian/Observer