Appendix B: Analysis of Reproductive Parameters Excluding Older-Adults (≥ 10 years)
Methods
We tested for the effects of age class and season on reproductive rates, excluding older-adults. We did this to check the robustness of our estimates of reproductive parameters for sub-adults and prime-adults to distortion from older-adults, which only reproduced once (with a litter size of 1). There were no older-adult female admixed panthers in our dataset, so we also wanted to check the robustness of our ancestry statistical inference and estimates to the inclusion of the pre-introgression type older-adults. To consider the effects of age class on six-month probability of reproduction (p) and litter size (μ), we created a new age class model: Age4, which divides sub-adult (ages 1 – 2.5) and prime-adult (ages 2.5 – 10) panthers. Otherwise, analyses proceeded as in the main text.
Results
Excluding older-adults had little effect on inference (Table B1) or model-averaged estimates (Figures B1A, B2A, and B3A) for reproduction probability of sub-adults and prime-adults. Excluding the one older-adult that reproduced (instead of combining her with prime-adults in the adult category) had some small effects on inference (Table B2) and model-averaged estimates (Figures B1B, B2B, and B3B) for μ, including moving season from a marginally supported model (Table 2B) to a marginally unsupported model (Table B2B).
Table B1. Model selection table evaluating the effects of A) age class, B) season, and C) ancestry on probability of reproduction (p). The top ranked model for age class (part A, model 1, in bold) was used as a base model to test for the effects of season; the top ranked model for season (part B, model 1, in bold) was used as a base model to test for the effects of ancestry. For each model, we present the number of parameters (K), the difference in Akaike’s Information Criterion (∆AIC), and the Akaike weight (wi). These analyses were performed on subsets of the data (excluding older-adults for all analyses and 1 panther with unknown ancestry for ancestry analysis).
A) Age Models
1 / Constanta / 1 / 0.00 / 0.562
2 / Age4b / 3 / 0.50 / 0.438
B) Season Models
1 / Season / 2 / 0.00 / 0.785
2 / Constant / 1 / 2.59 / 0.215
C) Ancestry Models
1 / Season + Ancest2c / 3 / 0.00 / 0.628
2 / Season + Ancest1d / 4 / 1.59 / 0.284
3 / Season / 2 / 4.56 / 0.064
4 / Season + Ancest3e / 3 / 6.49 / 0.024
Table B2. Model selection table evaluating the effects of A) age class, B) season, and C) ancestry on litter size (μ). The top ranked model for age class (part A, model 1, in bold) was used as a base model to test for the effects of season; the top ranked model for season (part B, model 1, in bold) was used as a base model to test for the effects of ancestry. For each model, we present the number of parameters (K), the difference in Akaike’s Information Criterion (∆AIC), and the Akaike weight (wi). These analyses were performed on subsets of the data (excluding older-adults for all analyses and 1 panther with unknown ancestry for ancestry).
Model / K / ΔAIC / wiA) Age Models
1 / Age4a / 4 / 0.00 / 0.777
2 / Constantb / 3 / 2.50 / 0.223
B) Season Models
1 / Age4 / 4 / 0.00 / 0.519
2 / Age4 + Season / 5 / 0.16 / 0.481
C) Ancestry Models
1 / Age4 / 4 / 0.00 / 0.478
2 / Age4 + Ancest3c / 5 / 1.29 / 0.251
3 / Age4 + Ancest2d / 5 / 2.00 / 0.176
4 / Age4 + Ancest1e / 6 / 3.24 / 0.095
Appendix Figure Legends
Figure B1. Model-averaged reproductive rates (± unconditional standard errors) by age class. Sub-adults are defined as ages 1-2.5 and prime-adults ages 2.5-10. We present A) six-month probability of reproduction and B) average litter size. The estimates are from an analysis excluding older-adult (age ≥ 10 years) panthers.
Figure B2. Model-averaged reproductive rates (± unconditional standard errors) by season. We present A) six-month probability of reproduction for young-adult panthers (<10 years old) and B) average litter size for prime-adult panthers (ages 2.5-10). The estimates are from an analysis excluding older-adult (age ≥ 10 years) panthers.
Figure B3. Model-averaged reproductive rates (± unconditional standard errors) by ancestry category. We present A) six-month probability of reproduction for young-adult panthers (<10 years old) in the dry season and B) average litter size, for prime-adult panthers (ages 2.5-10). The estimates are from an analysis excluding older-adult (age ≥ 10 years) panthers.
Figure B1.
Figure B2.
Figure B3.