There is a world somewhere between reality and fiction. Although ignored by many, it is very real and so are those living in it. This forum is about the natural world. Here, wild animals will be heard and respected. The forum offers a glimpse into an unknown world as well as a room with a view on the present and the future. Anyone able to speak on behalf of those living in the emerald forest and the deep blue sea is invited to join.
(12-20-2022, 12:28 AM)Mapokser Wrote: But in terms of having a successful bloodline, the lion's chances you'll be greater if they have daughters, just look at how successful the 6 Majingilane daughters of the Kambula pride are and compare them to their brothers who despite reaching independence and some even become dominant, still failed tragically.
It is bad example. In general daughters are more guarantee bloodline succes as if they reach adulthood they will most likely rise at least one or two litters to adulthood. They however can raise only one litter at a time. On the other hand males have more difficult time to reproduce, however if they manage to do so they can sire and rise multiple litters at once and because of that provide greater reproduce success than females.
Exactly, it is not a coincidence good times of plenty lead to more males being born in many species (to spread the genes, from species viewpoint to have the most viable genes to prevail improving and reshuffling the genetic infomation of the population with possibly new combination that might turn out beneficial, more adapted to current surroundings), while in les favourable times more females are born (sort of to keep the species going, survive and betting on the sure thing). Obviously not going from 100% to 0% to vice versa, but the ratio changes a bit. Often in zoos in different species there is a problem of surplus male (for once because the extra ones are not needed in many species and the natural selection through competition doesn't happen, the breeding programs try the opposite to keep the gen pool as it was, diverse with no bloodlines gettign overrepresented and animals not changing over time from the type; like melanistic individuals in amur leopards being removed from further breeding), but also due do diet - overfeeding is one thing, but nutrition rich carbohydrates (afaik) likely triggers some skewed ration of sexes among the offspring - Emmen zoo elephants having like 3 female calves from 20 (or something like that) born over span of decades and different animals bred (dames and sires) comes to mind. Even in humans females tend to have different level of hormones causing enviroment favoring either quicker or slower sperms - based on their partners status and what not, ie. the same principal for a social species like we are, obviously with negligible difference and familie still being able to have a child of different sex after like 3 of the other one in a row, not a deterministic feature.