
TY  - JOUR
A1  - Mills, Harriet R. 
A1  - Bencini, Roberta 
T1  - New evidence for facultative male die-off in island populations of dibblers, <emph type="2">Parantechinus apicalis</emph>
JF  - Australian Journal of Zoology
JO  - Aust. J. Zool.
Y1  - 2000
VL  - 48
IS  - 5
SP  - 501
EP  - 510
KW  - 
UR  - https://doi.org/10.1071/ZO00025 
N2  - The post-mating mortality of males in dasyurid species is thought to be a specific life-history strategy, associated with a tightly synchronised breeding season, that may enhance survivorship of juveniles. Parantechinus apicalis has been reported to exhibit male die-off in island populations but not in mainland populations, and males originating from both island and mainland populations are known to survive post-mating in captivity. However, males in the island populations have been reported to sometimes survive to breed in a second year. This study monitored captive and island populations over a three-year period (April 1997 &#8211; May 2000) to examine the extent of male die-off. In captivity, males showed no evidence of post-mating mortality. Males on one island were also found to survive post-mating, while another island population appeared to have high mortality of males in three years, and a complete male die-off after the 1999 breeding season. We conclude that P. apicalis may warrant inclusion in a new category of life-history strategy for species exhibiting facultative male die-off. 
ER  -

