Barrientos Yuste, Rafael2026-01-262026-01-262015-03-17Barrientos, R. (2015). Adult sex-ratio distortion in the native European polecat is related to the expansion of the invasive American mink. Biological Conservation, 186, 28–34. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2015.02.0300006-320710.1016/j.biocon.2015.02.030https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14352/131042Acknowledgments I extend special thanks to C. Fournier-Chambrillon, R. Fusillo, M. Marcelli, D. Weber, J. Zabala, A. Abramov, F. Müller, A. Baghli, I. Zuberogoitia, V. Sidorovich, L. Lapini, J.B. Kiss, A.B. Madsen, L. Vølud, S. Palazón, G. Manghi, A. Mira, C. Grilo, K. Van Den Berge, C. Rondinini, P. Tryjanowski, K. Bevanger, M. Costa, R. Václav and E. Virgós for providing valuable information. J. Cabot and M. Sempere provided data from EBD-CSIC collection, P. Agnelli from NHM-University of Florence, B. Herzig from MNH of Wien, E. García from MCNC of Barcelona, S. Couto from IPE-CSIC, M. Hildén from Finnish MNH, G. Lenglet from MNS of Brussels and C.W. Moeliker from NHM of Rotterdam. M. Plaza, J.A. Fargallo, R. Václav, E. Virgós and two anonymous reviewers improved a first draft, J.M. Álvarez helped with figure editing and S. Young checked the English. The author benefits from a "Juan de la Cierva" post-doctoral contract (JCI-2011-10945).Biological invasions represent a threat to worldwide diversity, but large scale patterns of their impacts are rarely reported. The population sex-ratio influences many other population parameters such as the effective population size, the mating system or the population persistence in the long run. At a local scale, the presence of American mink (Neovison vison), a successful invader, has been shown to distort the adult sex-ratio (ASR) in the native European polecat (Mustela putorius). The aim of the current work is to determine whether this process is generalized across the entire native species range, by studying 71 datasets and 10,847 polecats with a meta-analytic approach. Datasets were male-biased when these included adult individuals. The different sampling methods (trapping/hunting, live trapping or road-kills) did not affect the sample sex-ratio (SSR). The polecat ASR is more skewed toward males in the presence of American mink, representing a conservation concern due to the reduction of reproductive females. The potential repercussions of ASR distortion on the effective population size, the mating system or the population persistence are discussed. This is the first time that ASR distortion across the entire range of a native species is linked to competition with an invasive species.engjournal article1873-2917https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2015.02.030restricted access57459599.74Adult sex-ratioNon-native speciesMustelidsPopulation declineSexual size dimorphismTertiary sex-ratioMamíferosEcología (Biología)Medio ambiente naturalZoología2401.18 Mamíferos2401.06 Ecología Animal2401.14 Taxonomía Animal3105.10 Dinámica de las Poblaciones