Huemul heresies: Beliefs in search of supporting data. 2. Biological and ecological considerations

Autores
Fluck, Werner Thomas; Smith Flueck, Jo Anne M.
Año de publicación
2012
Idioma
inglés
Tipo de recurso
artículo
Estado
versión publicada
Descripción
Scarce information from remnant huemul (Hippocamelus bisulcus) populations in marginal habitats can lead to erroneous interpretations of the species' natural history, such as assumptions of being a highly inflexible species. We evaluated discrepancies between historical accounts and recent interpretations regarding biological and ecological traits to better understand factors preventing recovery of highly endangered huemul. Early information supports the theory that huemul are currently living under suboptimal conditions. We find variability to be the norm for huemul, as with other cervids, in regard to antler characteristics, group size and density, sexual segregation, and social and feeding behaviours. No evidence supports competition and disease from livestock or red deer as having caused declines or preventing recovery. Instead, livestock management, particularly presence of people and dogs, creates incompatibilities. Where red deer are sympatric with huemul, red deer are outnumbered by livestock by 2100%, and being regularly inspected at slaughter, livestock provide a good proxy for diseases afflicting red deer. Inadequate antipredator responses due to evolutionary absence of cursorial predators are unsupported as several Canis species coexisted with huemul, overlapping with dogs that arrived with Paleoindians. Three populations have increased despite high predator density. Age at maturity for huemul is 1 year, with evidence that fawns may also breed. Reported twinning needs confirmation, but occurs in congeneric taruca (H. antisensis) and other Odocoilines, and huemul frequently raise fawns successfully every year; life cycle calculations should apply these parameters. Like taruca, dominance group breeding systems have been described repeatedly. Although huemul bucks were recently claimed unique by displaying territoriality year-round, data do not support such behaviour. Two sole dispersal records (8 and 15.5 km) are unlikely to represent maximum dispersal capacity and do not support barriers assumed from few kilometres of unsuitable habitat. Huemul using 500 ha could predictably disperse up to 90 km, well within the ranges of other cervids. Mistakenly assuming barriers and underestimating reproductive capacity may distract from discovering the factors affecting recolonisations. Sustained recovery may depend on re-establishing source populations on more productive habitats, guided by zooarcheological and historical data.
Fil: Fluck, Werner Thomas. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mar del Plata; Argentina. Universidad de Basilea; Suiza. Universidad Atlantida Argentina; Argentina. Fundación Bariloche; Argentina
Fil: Smith Flueck, Jo Anne M.. Universidad Atlantida Argentina; Argentina
Materia
HIPPOCAMELUS BISULCUS
HISTORY
ECOLOGY
REPRODUCTION
Nivel de accesibilidad
acceso abierto
Condiciones de uso
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.5/ar/
Repositorio
CONICET Digital (CONICET)
Institución
Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas
OAI Identificador
oai:ri.conicet.gov.ar:11336/198356
Acceder
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oai_identifier_str oai:ri.conicet.gov.ar:11336/198356
network_acronym_str CONICETDig
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network_name_str CONICET Digital (CONICET)
spelling Huemul heresies: Beliefs in search of supporting data. 2. Biological and ecological considerationsFluck, Werner ThomasSmith Flueck, Jo Anne M.HIPPOCAMELUS BISULCUSHISTORYECOLOGYREPRODUCTIONhttps://purl.org/becyt/ford/1.6https://purl.org/becyt/ford/1Scarce information from remnant huemul (Hippocamelus bisulcus) populations in marginal habitats can lead to erroneous interpretations of the species' natural history, such as assumptions of being a highly inflexible species. We evaluated discrepancies between historical accounts and recent interpretations regarding biological and ecological traits to better understand factors preventing recovery of highly endangered huemul. Early information supports the theory that huemul are currently living under suboptimal conditions. We find variability to be the norm for huemul, as with other cervids, in regard to antler characteristics, group size and density, sexual segregation, and social and feeding behaviours. No evidence supports competition and disease from livestock or red deer as having caused declines or preventing recovery. Instead, livestock management, particularly presence of people and dogs, creates incompatibilities. Where red deer are sympatric with huemul, red deer are outnumbered by livestock by 2100%, and being regularly inspected at slaughter, livestock provide a good proxy for diseases afflicting red deer. Inadequate antipredator responses due to evolutionary absence of cursorial predators are unsupported as several Canis species coexisted with huemul, overlapping with dogs that arrived with Paleoindians. Three populations have increased despite high predator density. Age at maturity for huemul is 1 year, with evidence that fawns may also breed. Reported twinning needs confirmation, but occurs in congeneric taruca (H. antisensis) and other Odocoilines, and huemul frequently raise fawns successfully every year; life cycle calculations should apply these parameters. Like taruca, dominance group breeding systems have been described repeatedly. Although huemul bucks were recently claimed unique by displaying territoriality year-round, data do not support such behaviour. Two sole dispersal records (8 and 15.5 km) are unlikely to represent maximum dispersal capacity and do not support barriers assumed from few kilometres of unsuitable habitat. Huemul using 500 ha could predictably disperse up to 90 km, well within the ranges of other cervids. Mistakenly assuming barriers and underestimating reproductive capacity may distract from discovering the factors affecting recolonisations. Sustained recovery may depend on re-establishing source populations on more productive habitats, guided by zooarcheological and historical data.Fil: Fluck, Werner Thomas. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mar del Plata; Argentina. Universidad de Basilea; Suiza. Universidad Atlantida Argentina; Argentina. Fundación Bariloche; ArgentinaFil: Smith Flueck, Jo Anne M.. Universidad Atlantida Argentina; ArgentinaCsiro Publishing2012-07info:eu-repo/semantics/articleinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersionhttp://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_6501info:ar-repo/semantics/articuloapplication/pdfapplication/pdfhttp://hdl.handle.net/11336/198356Fluck, Werner Thomas; Smith Flueck, Jo Anne M.; Huemul heresies: Beliefs in search of supporting data. 2. Biological and ecological considerations; Csiro Publishing; Animal Production Science; 52; 8; 7-2012; 694-7061836-5787CONICET DigitalCONICETenginfo:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/url/https://www.publish.csiro.au/?paper=AN11345info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/doi/10.1071/AN11345info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccesshttps://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.5/ar/reponame:CONICET Digital (CONICET)instname:Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas2026-08-25T14:46:14Zoai:ri.conicet.gov.ar:11336/198356instacron:CONICETInstitucionalhttp://ri.conicet.gov.ar/Organismo científico-tecnológicoNo correspondehttp://ri.conicet.gov.ar/oai/requestdasensio@conicet.gov.ar; lcarlino@conicet.gov.arArgentinaNo correspondeNo correspondeNo correspondeopendoar:34982026-08-25 14:46:14.829CONICET Digital (CONICET) - Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicasfalse
dc.title.none.fl_str_mv Huemul heresies: Beliefs in search of supporting data. 2. Biological and ecological considerations
title Huemul heresies: Beliefs in search of supporting data. 2. Biological and ecological considerations
spellingShingle Huemul heresies: Beliefs in search of supporting data. 2. Biological and ecological considerations
Fluck, Werner Thomas
HIPPOCAMELUS BISULCUS
HISTORY
ECOLOGY
REPRODUCTION
title_short Huemul heresies: Beliefs in search of supporting data. 2. Biological and ecological considerations
title_full Huemul heresies: Beliefs in search of supporting data. 2. Biological and ecological considerations
title_fullStr Huemul heresies: Beliefs in search of supporting data. 2. Biological and ecological considerations
title_full_unstemmed Huemul heresies: Beliefs in search of supporting data. 2. Biological and ecological considerations
title_sort Huemul heresies: Beliefs in search of supporting data. 2. Biological and ecological considerations
dc.creator.none.fl_str_mv Fluck, Werner Thomas
Smith Flueck, Jo Anne M.
author Fluck, Werner Thomas
author_facet Fluck, Werner Thomas
Smith Flueck, Jo Anne M.
author_role author
author2 Smith Flueck, Jo Anne M.
author2_role author
dc.subject.none.fl_str_mv HIPPOCAMELUS BISULCUS
HISTORY
ECOLOGY
REPRODUCTION
topic HIPPOCAMELUS BISULCUS
HISTORY
ECOLOGY
REPRODUCTION
purl_subject.fl_str_mv https://purl.org/becyt/ford/1.6
https://purl.org/becyt/ford/1
dc.description.none.fl_txt_mv Scarce information from remnant huemul (Hippocamelus bisulcus) populations in marginal habitats can lead to erroneous interpretations of the species' natural history, such as assumptions of being a highly inflexible species. We evaluated discrepancies between historical accounts and recent interpretations regarding biological and ecological traits to better understand factors preventing recovery of highly endangered huemul. Early information supports the theory that huemul are currently living under suboptimal conditions. We find variability to be the norm for huemul, as with other cervids, in regard to antler characteristics, group size and density, sexual segregation, and social and feeding behaviours. No evidence supports competition and disease from livestock or red deer as having caused declines or preventing recovery. Instead, livestock management, particularly presence of people and dogs, creates incompatibilities. Where red deer are sympatric with huemul, red deer are outnumbered by livestock by 2100%, and being regularly inspected at slaughter, livestock provide a good proxy for diseases afflicting red deer. Inadequate antipredator responses due to evolutionary absence of cursorial predators are unsupported as several Canis species coexisted with huemul, overlapping with dogs that arrived with Paleoindians. Three populations have increased despite high predator density. Age at maturity for huemul is 1 year, with evidence that fawns may also breed. Reported twinning needs confirmation, but occurs in congeneric taruca (H. antisensis) and other Odocoilines, and huemul frequently raise fawns successfully every year; life cycle calculations should apply these parameters. Like taruca, dominance group breeding systems have been described repeatedly. Although huemul bucks were recently claimed unique by displaying territoriality year-round, data do not support such behaviour. Two sole dispersal records (8 and 15.5 km) are unlikely to represent maximum dispersal capacity and do not support barriers assumed from few kilometres of unsuitable habitat. Huemul using 500 ha could predictably disperse up to 90 km, well within the ranges of other cervids. Mistakenly assuming barriers and underestimating reproductive capacity may distract from discovering the factors affecting recolonisations. Sustained recovery may depend on re-establishing source populations on more productive habitats, guided by zooarcheological and historical data.
Fil: Fluck, Werner Thomas. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mar del Plata; Argentina. Universidad de Basilea; Suiza. Universidad Atlantida Argentina; Argentina. Fundación Bariloche; Argentina
Fil: Smith Flueck, Jo Anne M.. Universidad Atlantida Argentina; Argentina
description Scarce information from remnant huemul (Hippocamelus bisulcus) populations in marginal habitats can lead to erroneous interpretations of the species' natural history, such as assumptions of being a highly inflexible species. We evaluated discrepancies between historical accounts and recent interpretations regarding biological and ecological traits to better understand factors preventing recovery of highly endangered huemul. Early information supports the theory that huemul are currently living under suboptimal conditions. We find variability to be the norm for huemul, as with other cervids, in regard to antler characteristics, group size and density, sexual segregation, and social and feeding behaviours. No evidence supports competition and disease from livestock or red deer as having caused declines or preventing recovery. Instead, livestock management, particularly presence of people and dogs, creates incompatibilities. Where red deer are sympatric with huemul, red deer are outnumbered by livestock by 2100%, and being regularly inspected at slaughter, livestock provide a good proxy for diseases afflicting red deer. Inadequate antipredator responses due to evolutionary absence of cursorial predators are unsupported as several Canis species coexisted with huemul, overlapping with dogs that arrived with Paleoindians. Three populations have increased despite high predator density. Age at maturity for huemul is 1 year, with evidence that fawns may also breed. Reported twinning needs confirmation, but occurs in congeneric taruca (H. antisensis) and other Odocoilines, and huemul frequently raise fawns successfully every year; life cycle calculations should apply these parameters. Like taruca, dominance group breeding systems have been described repeatedly. Although huemul bucks were recently claimed unique by displaying territoriality year-round, data do not support such behaviour. Two sole dispersal records (8 and 15.5 km) are unlikely to represent maximum dispersal capacity and do not support barriers assumed from few kilometres of unsuitable habitat. Huemul using 500 ha could predictably disperse up to 90 km, well within the ranges of other cervids. Mistakenly assuming barriers and underestimating reproductive capacity may distract from discovering the factors affecting recolonisations. Sustained recovery may depend on re-establishing source populations on more productive habitats, guided by zooarcheological and historical data.
publishDate 2012
dc.date.none.fl_str_mv 2012-07
dc.type.none.fl_str_mv info:eu-repo/semantics/article
info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion
http://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_6501
info:ar-repo/semantics/articulo
format article
status_str publishedVersion
dc.identifier.none.fl_str_mv http://hdl.handle.net/11336/198356
Fluck, Werner Thomas; Smith Flueck, Jo Anne M.; Huemul heresies: Beliefs in search of supporting data. 2. Biological and ecological considerations; Csiro Publishing; Animal Production Science; 52; 8; 7-2012; 694-706
1836-5787
CONICET Digital
CONICET
url http://hdl.handle.net/11336/198356
identifier_str_mv Fluck, Werner Thomas; Smith Flueck, Jo Anne M.; Huemul heresies: Beliefs in search of supporting data. 2. Biological and ecological considerations; Csiro Publishing; Animal Production Science; 52; 8; 7-2012; 694-706
1836-5787
CONICET Digital
CONICET
dc.language.none.fl_str_mv eng
language eng
dc.relation.none.fl_str_mv info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/url/https://www.publish.csiro.au/?paper=AN11345
info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/doi/10.1071/AN11345
dc.rights.none.fl_str_mv info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.5/ar/
eu_rights_str_mv openAccess
rights_invalid_str_mv https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.5/ar/
dc.format.none.fl_str_mv application/pdf
application/pdf
dc.publisher.none.fl_str_mv Csiro Publishing
publisher.none.fl_str_mv Csiro Publishing
dc.source.none.fl_str_mv reponame:CONICET Digital (CONICET)
instname:Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas
reponame_str CONICET Digital (CONICET)
collection CONICET Digital (CONICET)
instname_str Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas
repository.name.fl_str_mv CONICET Digital (CONICET) - Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas
repository.mail.fl_str_mv dasensio@conicet.gov.ar; lcarlino@conicet.gov.ar
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score 13.265058

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