White-tailed deer vary offspring sex-ratio according to maternal condition and age

Abstract

We tested two models of adaptive offspring sex-ratio that predict opposite optimal reproductive strategies for female white-tail deer ( Odocoileus virginianus ). Trivers and Willard's model predicts that does (females) in particularly good condition should produce sons, and Williams refined their model to make specific predictions about optimal offspring number/sex choices. Verme's model results in very different predictions because of very different assumptions about which sex of offspring can best benefit from high levels of maternal resources. We found clear support for the Trivers and Willard/Williams model when we analyzed data from road-killed does, and we furthermore question several of the assumptions of the Verme model.