Lifespan, relative to fecundity, in suids (Suidae) compared with bovids (Bovidae)

Suids (Suidae, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suidae) are unusual among Artiodactyla, in their potential for rapid reproduction.

This is based mainly on the number of offspring per birth.

Focussing on spp. in Africa, the values for number of offspring per birth are, for example,

• 2-4, and up to 8, in the common warthog (Phacochoerus africanus, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_warthog), and
• 1-4, and up to 6, in the bushpig (Potamochoerus larvatus, https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Potamochoerus_larvatus/).

What does this mean for our understanding of life-history strategies?

Given their potential for rapid reproduction, it seems reasonable to expect that suids have a reduced lifespan (https://www.perplexity.ai/search/in-biology-what-is-the-differe-x7AAtz0GQh69JN8KOMvhKw).

To test this idea, I compared suids and bovids (Bovidae, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bovidae) with respect to lifespan, based on Haltenorth and Diller (1986, https://books.google.com.au/books/about/A_Field_Guide_to_the_Mammals_of_Africa_I.html?id=svxGAAAAYAAJ&redir_esc=y and https://catalogue.nla.gov.au/catalog/1491209).

I chose spp. with adult body mass about 80 kg, for comparability to those spp. of suids indigenous to Africa.

There are nine spp. of bovids in Africa with this body mass. The lifespan is mean about 16 years, range 10-24 years.

In those suids indigenous to Africa, lifespans are

• common warthog: 18 years,
• bushpig: 12-15 years, and
• wild boar (Sus scrofa): 15-20 years.

These data can be summarised, in the case of the suids, as about 16 years, which is similar to the value for bovids.

I tentatively conclude that there is no difference in lifespan between suids and bovids in Africa, despite a great difference in fecundity. This suggests that the fecundity of suids - together with formidable canine teeth - is basically a compensation for relative vulnerability to predation, owing to e.g.

• proportionately short legs,
• diurnal foraging in the case of warthogs, and
• noisiness while foraging in the case of bushpigs and the wild boar.

Posted on August 14, 2024 04:00 PM by milewski