Density dependence of developmental instability in a dimorphic ungulate.
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ABSTRACT:
SUBMITTER: Serrano E
PROVIDER: S-EPMC2610071 | biostudies-literature | 2008 Oct
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
Publications
Density dependence of developmental instability in a dimorphic ungulate.
Serrano Emmanuel E Angibault Jean-Marc JM Cargnelutti Bruno B Hewison A J Mark AJ
Biology letters 20081001 5
The use of fluctuating asymmetry (FA) for biomonitoring environmental stress is limited by the lack of work on how FA in particular traits responds to specific stresses. Here, by manipulating the number of individuals in an enclosed fallow deer (Dama dama) population, we describe, for the first time, clear density dependence in the FA of juvenile jaw morphology. The impact of high population density on FA was strong for both sexes, supporting the use of FA for indexing environmental stress. In a ...[more]
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