Long-term field studies have been invaluable in the study of ecology and evolution; however, for particularly long-lived species, even long-term studies often rely on estimated ages, for example when investigating demographic processes. One approach is to estimate unknown birth dates from the known timing of other life-history events. Building on previous methods, we update estimation techniques for Northern Resident killer whales (NRKW; ) as part of an ongoing long-term study that began in 1973.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFProc Natl Acad Sci U S A
December 2019
Understanding why females of some mammalian species cease ovulation prior to the end of life is a long-standing interdisciplinary and evolutionary challenge. In humans and some species of toothed whales, females can live for decades after stopping reproduction. This unusual life history trait is thought to have evolved, in part, due to the inclusive fitness benefits that postreproductive females gain by helping kin.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFRoutinely crossing international borders and/or persisting in populations across multiple countries, species are commonly subject to a patchwork of endangered species legislation. Canada and the United States share numerous endangered species; their respective acts, the Species at Risk Act (SARA) and the Endangered Species Act (ESA), require documents that outline requirements for species recovery. Although there are many priorities for improving endangered species legislation effectiveness, species recovery goals are a crucial component.
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