Comments on: Natural selection at work: wild dogs hunting impala http://afarensis.blogsome.com/2005/06/17/natural-selection-at-work-wild-dogs-hunting-impala/ Exploring the World Around Us Thu, 28 Aug 2008 08:40:19 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=1.5.1-alpha by: ben dover http://afarensis.blogsome.com/2005/06/17/natural-selection-at-work-wild-dogs-hunting-impala/#comment-139 Mon, 16 Apr 2007 03:08:30 +0100 http://afarensis.blogsome.com/2005/06/17/natural-selection-at-work-wild-dogs-hunting-impala/#comment-139 it sucked just playing very helpful with my report................................................................................................................................................................................................................................thanks it sucked just playing very helpful with my report……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..thanks

]]> by: Aydin http://afarensis.blogsome.com/2005/06/17/natural-selection-at-work-wild-dogs-hunting-impala/#comment-59 Thu, 10 Nov 2005 01:24:02 +0000 http://afarensis.blogsome.com/2005/06/17/natural-selection-at-work-wild-dogs-hunting-impala/#comment-59 Philip: What you are saying is technically correct. The dogs could be killing <i>only</i> those impala that have already reproduced and thus having no effect on the gene frequencies in the impala population. But this would be a highly unusual situation. If impala health is at least partially genetically determined, then there would be some young but unhealthy adults who haven't yet mated. And because they are more likely to be killed by dogs, they are less likely to pass their genes. This conclusion is something that we derive, because it is very probable based on what the study demonstrated and what we already know from other examples. Philip: What you are saying is technically correct. The dogs could be killing only those impala that have already reproduced and thus having no effect on the gene frequencies in the impala population. But this would be a highly unusual situation. If impala health is at least partially genetically determined, then there would be some young but unhealthy adults who haven’t yet mated. And because they are more likely to be killed by dogs, they are less likely to pass their genes.

This conclusion is something that we derive, because it is very probable based on what the study demonstrated and what we already know from other examples.

]]> by: Philip Chalmers http://afarensis.blogsome.com/2005/06/17/natural-selection-at-work-wild-dogs-hunting-impala/#comment-58 Wed, 09 Nov 2005 17:37:32 +0000 http://afarensis.blogsome.com/2005/06/17/natural-selection-at-work-wild-dogs-hunting-impala/#comment-58 The data show that hunting dogs mainly kill less-healthy impala. But that alone doesn't prove that they're improving the impala gene pool. They could be killing older impala which have already passed on their genes but are now weakened by malnutrition because their teeth are too worn for them to graze efficiently on dry grass - the fat content of impala bones from hunting dog kills is much higher in the wet season. The data show that hunting dogs mainly kill less-healthy impala. But that alone doesn’t prove that they’re improving the impala gene pool. They could be killing older impala which have already passed on their genes but are now weakened by malnutrition because their teeth are too worn for them to graze efficiently on dry grass - the fat content of impala bones from hunting dog kills is much higher in the wet season.

]]>