wildebeest {asbio}

Wildebeest carcass categorical data

Description

To test the "predation-sensitive food" hypothesis, which predicts that both food and predation limit prey populations, Sinclair and Arcese (1995) examined wildebeest (Connochaetes taurinus) carcasses in the Serengeti. The degree of malnutrition in animals was measured by marrow content since marrow will contain the last fat reserves in ungulates. Carcasses were cross-classified with respect to three categorical variables: sex (M, F), cause of death (predation, non-predation), and marrow type (SWF = Solid White Fatty, indicating healthy animals, OG = Opaque Gelatinous, indicating malnourishment, and TG = Translucent Gelatinous, the latter indicating severe malnourishment).

Usage

data(wildebeest)

Format

A data frame with 12 observations on the following 4 variables.

marrow

A factor with levels OG SWF TG.

sex

A factor with levels F M.

predation

A factor with levels N P.

count

Count in each cell

Source

Sinclair, A. R. E., and P. Arcese (1995) Population consequences of predation-sensitive foraging: the Serengeti wildebeest. Ecology 76(3): 882-891.