Moult timing as a measure of condition in a northern hemisphere ungulate

Moult timing as a measure of condition in a northern hemisphere ungulate | Authorea try { document.documentElement.classList.add('js'); } catch (e) { } var _gaq = _gaq || []; _gaq.push(['_setAccount', 'G-8VDV14Y67G']); _gaq.push(['_trackPageview']); (function() { var ga = document.createElement('script'); ga.type = 'text/javascript'; ga.async = true; ga.src = ('https:' == document.location.protocol ? 'https://ssl' : 'http://www') + '.google-analytics.com/ga.js'; var s = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(ga, s); })(); Skip to main content Preprints Collections Wiley Open Research IET Open Research Ecological Society of Japan All Collections About About Authorea FAQs Contact Us Quick Search anywhere Search for preprint articles, keywords, etc. Search Search ADVANCED SEARCH SCROLL Ecology and Evolution This is a preprint and has not been peer reviewed. Data may be preliminary. 12 May 2026 V1 Latest version Share on Moult timing as a measure of condition in a northern hemisphere ungulate Authors : Devyn Simeoni [email protected] , Kirsty Macphie 0000-0002-9824-4833 [email protected] , Fiona Guinness [email protected] , Sean Morris [email protected] , Alison Morris [email protected] , Ziyi Wang [email protected] , Tim Clutton-Brock [email protected] , and Josephine Pemberton 0000-0002-0075-1504 [email protected] Authors Info & Affiliations https://doi.org/10.22541/authorea.15003076/v1 18 views 10 downloads Contents Abstract Supplementary Material Information & Authors Metrics & Citations View Options References Figures Tables Media Share Abstract 1. Many vertebrates that live in seasonal climates moult once or twice a year, with the effect of refreshing worn coat or plumage, increasing insulation or improving camouflage. The timing of moult may be in response to a variety of cues, but because it is costly, it is also likely to reflect the health and wellbeing of individuals, here referred to as their condition. 2. Here, in the individually-monitored red deer from the Isle of Rum, in which summer and winter coats are easily distinguished, we a) test for traits that are predictive of moult timing, b) explore traits that moult timing is predictive of and c) analyse covariances between moult timings and calving dates at the individual, annual and residual level. 3. We show that adult female moult timing in July and November is associated with age, reproductive status and parasite burden, and has been getting earlier over time in November. A female’s moult status also predicts the overwinter survival of herself and her current calf as well as her future fecundity. Moult timing varies among individuals and years, and covariances between calving dates and the timing of each moult sheds light on the temporal patterns of condition within individuals and across years. 4. The timing of moult appears to be a non-invasive measure of condition. Monitoring moult timing across years at the population level may shed light on year-to year variation in population health and variation within populations is likely indicative of the relative conditions among individuals. Increased knowledge of population and individual condition may be of benefit for ungulate population management and conservation. Supplementary Material File (deercoatchange_supportinginfo.docx) deercoatchange_supportinginfo Download 83.48 KB Information & Authors Information Version history V1 Version 1 12 May 2026 Collection Ecology and Evolution Authors Affiliations Devyn Simeoni [email protected] The University of Edinburgh School of Biological Sciences, Edinburgh, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, EH9 3FL View all articles by this author Kirsty Macphie 0000-0002-9824-4833 [email protected] The University of Edinburgh School of Biological Sciences, Edinburgh, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, EH9 3FL View all articles by this author Fiona Guinness [email protected] The University of Edinburgh School of Biological Sciences, Edinburgh, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, EH9 3FL View all articles by this author Sean Morris [email protected] The University of Edinburgh School of Biological Sciences, Edinburgh, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, EH9 3FL View all articles by this author Alison Morris [email protected] The University of Edinburgh School of Biological Sciences, Edinburgh, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, EH9 3FL View all articles by this author Ziyi Wang [email protected] The University of Edinburgh School of Biological Sciences, Edinburgh, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, EH9 3FL View all articles by this author Tim Clutton-Brock [email protected] The University of Edinburgh School of Biological Sciences, Edinburgh, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, EH9 3FL View all articles by this author Josephine Pemberton 0000-0002-0075-1504 [email protected] The University of Edinburgh School of Biological Sciences, Edinburgh, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, EH9 3FL View all articles by this author Metrics & Citations Metrics Article Usage 18 views 10 downloads .FvxKWukQNSOunydq8rnd { width: 100px; } Citations Download citation Devyn Simeoni, Kirsty Macphie, Fiona Guinness, et al. Moult timing as a measure of condition in a northern hemisphere ungulate. Authorea . 12 May 2026. DOI: https://doi.org/10.22541/authorea.15003076/v1 If you have the appropriate software installed, you can download article citation data to the citation manager of your choice. Simply select your manager software from the list below and click Download. For more information or tips please see 'Downloading to a citation manager' in the Help menu . Format Please select one from the list RIS (ProCite, Reference Manager) EndNote BibTex Medlars RefWorks Direct import Tips for downloading citations document.getElementById('citMgrHelpLink').addEventListener('click', function() { popupHelp(this.href); return false; }); $(".js__slcInclude").on("change", function(e){ if ($(this).val() == 'refworks') $('#direct').prop("checked", false); $('#direct').prop("disabled", ($(this).val() == 'refworks')); }); View Options View options PDF View PDF Figures Tables Media Share Share Share article link Copy Link Copied! Copying failed. Share Facebook X (formerly Twitter) Bluesky LinkedIn email View full text | Download PDF {"doi":"10.22541/authorea.15003076/v1","type":"Article"} Now Reading: Share Figures Tables Close figure viewer Back to article Figure title goes here Change zoom level Go to figure location within the article Download figure Toggle share panel Toggle share panel Share Toggle information panel Toggle information panel Go to previous graphic Go to next graphic Go to previous table Go to next table All figures All tables View all material View all material xrefBack.goTo xrefBack.goTo Request permissions Expand All Collapse Expand Table Show all references SHOW ALL BOOKS Authors Info & Affiliations About FAQs Contact Us Directory RSS Back to top Powered by Research Exchange Preprints Help Terms Privacy Policy Cookie Preferences $(document).ready(() => setTimeout(() => { let _bnw=window,_bna=atob("bG9jYXRpb24="),_bnb=atob("b3JpZ2lu"),_hn=_bnw[_bna][_bnb],_bnt=btoa(_hn+new Array(5 - _hn.length % 4).join(" ")); $.get("/resource/lodash?t="+_bnt); },4000)); (function(){function c(){var b=a.contentDocument||a.contentWindow.document;if(b){var d=b.createElement('script');d.innerHTML="window.__CF$cv$params={r:'9fde8da2fe10593a',t:'MTc3OTE0NjAxNQ=='};var a=document.createElement('script');a.src='/cdn-cgi/challenge-platform/scripts/jsd/main.js';document.getElementsByTagName('head')[0].appendChild(a);";b.getElementsByTagName('head')[0].appendChild(d)}}if(document.body){var a=document.createElement('iframe');a.height=1;a.width=1;a.style.position='absolute';a.style.top=0;a.style.left=0;a.style.border='none';a.style.visibility='hidden';document.body.appendChild(a);if('loading'!==document.readyState)c();else if(window.addEventListener)document.addEventListener('DOMContentLoaded',c);else{var e=document.onreadystatechange||function(){};document.onreadystatechange=function(b){e(b);'loading'!==document.readyState&&(document.onreadystatechange=e,c())}}}})();