Unbiased sex-specific survival in Alpine chamois

摘要: Abstract Many polygynous ungulates show higher mortality of males than females, because the intense male–male competition during rut and costs associated with development sexual-size dimorphism. In weakly dimorphic Alpine chamois Rupicapra rupicapra occurrence differential sex-specific survival strategies is controversial. To date, only two studies investigated survivorship females in this species, producing conflicting results: these works, based on use life tables, require confirmation from researches carried out living populations. We assessed pattern a protected population Swiss National Park, where 116 individuals were marked monitored over 13 years (1996–2008). tested for sex-, age- year-dependence by means capture-mark-resight models. Resighting probabilities sex-dependent, rates time-dependent. Females had resighting (0.84) (0.74). All time periods, sex weak influence probability (males = 0.91; females = 0.92) remained surprisingly high until late age (1 year = 0.90; 2–7 years = 0.91; 8+ years = 0.92). The growing evidence adult sexes, together highly seasonal dimorphism observed chamois, might indicate unique conservative strategy both sexes low-risk mating males.