Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40145127›Full record

ArticleEcology letters2025

Consistent Individual Differences and Plasticity in Migration Behaviour of Three North American Ungulates.

Michel P Laforge, Eric Vander Wal, Quinn M R Webber, Chris Geremia, Matthew J Kauffman, Douglas E McWhirter, Arthur Middleton, Tony W Mong, Kevin L Monteith, Anna C Ortega and 2 more

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Ecology letters, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

3 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Article
  3. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

12 authors.

Michel P LaforgeDepartment of Biology, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9128-1757
Eric Vander WalDepartment of Biology, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8534-4317
Quinn M R WebberCognitive and Behavioural Ecology Program, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0434-9360
Chris GeremiaYellowstone Center for Resources, Yellowstone National Park, Mammoth, Wyoming, USA.
Matthew J KauffmanU.S. Geological Survey, Wyoming Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, Department of Zoology and Physiology, University of Wyoming, Laramie, Wyoming, USA.
Douglas E McWhirterWyoming Game and Fish Department, Lander, Wyoming, USA.
Arthur MiddletonDepartment of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, University of California, Berkeley, California, USA.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3887-0434
Tony W MongWyoming Game and Fish Department, Lander, Wyoming, USA.
Kevin L MonteithDepartment of Zoology and Physiology, University of Wyoming, Laramie, Wyoming, USA.
Anna C OrtegaDepartment of Zoology and Physiology, University of Wyoming, Laramie, Wyoming, USA.
Hall SawyerWestern Ecosystems Technology, Inc., Laramie, Wyoming, USA.
Jerod A MerkleDepartment of Zoology and Physiology, University of Wyoming, Laramie, Wyoming, USA.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0100-1833

Funding

Fulbright CanadaMitacsNatural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Migratory herbivores often time spring migration to coincide with the green-up of plants. When the timing of green-up changes across years, herbivores can respond directly and be plastic to changing conditions or populations may adapt via inherent differences among individuals that may allow for an evolutionary response. We quantified plasticity and individual variation in the timing of spring migration and selection for high-quality forage as a function of the timing of spring green-up using behavioural reaction norms for three North American ungulate species. The timing of arrival to summer range (but not departure from winter range) was plastic to the timing of green-up, and both arrival and departure timing were repeatable. Our results suggest that herbivores synchronise migration with the timing of green-up by adjusting the pace of migration and may be buffered against change via individual differences. Quantifying plasticity and differences in responses represents a crucial step to elucidating the fate of species in a changing world.

Indexed as

Animal MigrationAnimalsHerbivoryNorth AmericaSeasonsBehavioural reaction normsclimate changeconsistent individual differencesherbivoresmigrationplasticityrepeatabilitysurfing the green waveWyoming

Identifiers

PMID40145127
PMCPMC11947855

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.