Research Goal:

The goal of this study is to determine how many newborn vicuna survive to their first birthday. This will describe mortality patterns of newborn vicuna during the first year of life.

Research Questions:

1. What percentage of newborn vicunas survive their first year of life?

2. What is the main cause of mortality for newborn vicunas during their first year of life?

Hypothesis and Predictions:

Unlike the previous activity, Emiliano did not make a hypothesis before he began this study. His goal is to describe mortality patterns without any comparison to another group of newborn vicuna. These types of predictive, observational studies are common in ecology when nothing is known about the animals (or plants or microbes) under study.

Research Methods:

For the next year, Emiliano and his team used antennas to monitor the signals from the baby vicuna’s transmitters. (Watch the video from the link in "Extras".)

Every time they found a dead baby vicuna, they recorded the day and attempted to figure out what had killed it, just like detectives. 

To determine if a puma was responsible for killing a newborn, Emiliano looked for puma tracks and evidence of puma teeth punctures in newborns’ hides.

Cause of death: puma!

Collect, Analyze and Summarize Your Data