scholarly journals Pace of life, predators and parasites: predator-induced life-history evolution in Trinidadian guppies predicts decrease in parasite tolerance

2015 ◽  
Vol 11 (11) ◽  
pp. 20150806 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. F. Stephenson ◽  
C. van Oosterhout ◽  
J. Cable
Keyword(s):  
Life History ◽  
Life Histories ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Life History Theory ◽  
Poecilia Reticulata ◽  
Life History Evolution ◽  
Predation Pressure ◽  
Pace Of Life ◽  
Evolutionary Response ◽  
Investment In Reproduction

A common evolutionary response to predation pressure is increased investment in reproduction, ultimately resulting in a fast life history. Theory and comparative studies suggest that short-lived organisms invest less in defence against parasites than those that are longer lived (the pace of life hypothesis). Combining these tenets of evolutionary theory leads to the specific, untested prediction that within species, populations experiencing higher predation pressure invest less in defence against parasites. The Trinidadian guppy, Poecilia reticulata , presents an excellent opportunity to test this prediction: guppy populations in lower courses of rivers experience higher predation pressure, and as a consequence have evolved faster life histories, than those in upper courses. Data from a large-scale field survey showed that fish infected with Gyrodactylus parasites were of a lower body condition (quantified using the scaled mass index) than uninfected fish, but only in lower course populations. Although the evidence we present is correlational, it suggests that upper course guppies sustain lower fitness costs of infection, i.e. are more tolerant, than lower course guppies. The data are therefore consistent with the pace of life hypothesis of parasite defence allocation, and suggest that life-history traits mediate the indirect effect of predators on the parasites of their prey.

scholarly journals Isolation and predation drive gecko life-history evolution on islands

2020 ◽  
Vol 129 (3) ◽  
pp. 618-629
Author(s):  
Rachel Schwarz ◽  
Yuval Itescu ◽  
Antonis Antonopoulos ◽  
Ioanna-Aikaterini Gavriilidi ◽  
Karin Tamar ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Life History ◽  
Life Histories ◽  
Life History Traits ◽  
Life History Evolution ◽  
Reproductive Traits ◽  
Predation Pressure ◽  
Ecological Studies ◽  
Island Populations ◽  
Island Syndrome ◽  
Insular Populations

Abstract Insular animals are thought to be under weak predation pressure and increased intraspecific competition compared with those on the mainland. Thus, insular populations are predicted to evolve ‘slow’ life histories characterized by fewer and smaller clutches of larger eggs, a pattern called the ‘island syndrome’. To test this pattern, we collected data on egg volume, clutch size and laying frequency of 31 Aegean Island populations of the closely related geckos of the Mediodactylus kotschyi species complex. We tested how predation pressure, resource abundance, island area and isolation influenced reproductive traits. Isolation and predation were the main drivers of variation in life-history traits. Higher predator richness seemed to promote faster life histories, perhaps owing to predation on adults, whereas the presence of boas promoted slower life histories, perhaps owing to release from predation by rats on the eggs of geckos. Insular geckos followed only some of the predictions of the ‘island syndrome’. Predation pressure seemed to be more complex than expected and drove life histories of species in two opposing directions. Our results highlight the importance of considering the identity of specific predators in ecological studies.

Can commercial fishing cause evolution? Answers from guppies (Poecilia reticulata)

2005 ◽  
Vol 62 (4) ◽  
pp. 791-801 ◽  
Author(s):  
David N Reznick ◽  
Cameron K Ghalambor
Keyword(s):  
Life History ◽  
Body Size ◽  
Life Histories ◽  
Life History Theory ◽  
Poecilia Reticulata ◽  
Mortality Rates ◽  
Adult Mortality ◽  
Commercial Fisheries ◽  
Commercial Fishing ◽  
Rate Of Evolution

Life history theory predicts that high adult mortality rates select for earlier maturity and increased reproduction. If such evolution occurs in response to the commercial exploitation of natural fish populations, then the correlated reduction in body size would reduce the yield of the fishery. Earlier maturity and reduced body size are seen in commercially exploited populations. Here, we compare the life histories of natural populations of guppies (Poecilia reticulata) from Trinidad that live in either high- or low-predation environments, which serve as surrogates for the presence or absence of commercial fishing. We can quantify mortality rate and life history variables, including age and size at maturity, in the laboratory and in nature. We have manipulated mortality rates in nature and measured the rate of evolution. High mortality selects for earlier maturity at a smaller size, as observed in commercial fisheries and as predicted by theory. Furthermore, the nature and magnitude of predator-induced mortality are comparable to those caused by commercial fishing. The rate of evolution in guppies predicts similar evolution in commercial fisheries on a time scale of decades. These attributes support arguments that humans, like predators, have acted as an agent of selection when exploiting populations of fish.

scholarly journals Lack, Skutch, and Moreau: The Early Development of Life-History Thinking

The Condor ◽  
2000 ◽  
Vol 102 (1) ◽  
pp. 3-8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert E. Ricklefs
Keyword(s):  
Life History ◽  
Life Histories ◽  
Life History Theory ◽  
Life History Evolution ◽  
Early Life History ◽  
Nesting Success ◽  
Evolutionary Forces ◽  
Full Development ◽  
The Rich ◽  
David Lack

Abstract Papers by Reginald Moreau, David Lack, and Alexander Skutch published during the 1940s set the stage for the development of thinking about life histories over the following decades. Lack was concerned about the fundamental issue of individual vs. group selection and turned life-history evolution into a battleground for this debate. His monolithic focus on nesting success as a measure of fitness and on food availability as the principal determinant of nesting success obscured the rich empirical background brought to the debate by Skutch and the diverse evolutionary forces envisioned by Moreau. Lack's strong convictions, single-mindedness, and eloquence forced biologists to confront several important problems but also held back the full development of life-history theory until the mid-1960s. Retrospective consideration of these early life-history studies shows how science can progress through a balance of conviction and reflection.

scholarly journals Nutrition shapes life-history evolution across species

2016 ◽  
Vol 283 (1834) ◽  
pp. 20152764 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eli M. Swanson ◽  
Anne Espeset ◽  
Ihab Mikati ◽  
Isaac Bolduc ◽  
Robert Kulhanek ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Life History ◽  
Life Histories ◽  
Host Plants ◽  
Life History Theory ◽  
Life History Evolution ◽  
Sodium Content ◽  
Testis Size ◽  
Eye Size ◽  
History Evolution ◽  
Diet Shifts

Nutrition is a key component of life-history theory, yet we know little about how diet quality shapes life-history evolution across species. Here, we test whether quantitative measures of nutrition are linked to life-history evolution across 96 species of butterflies representing over 50 independent diet shifts. We find that butterflies feeding on high nitrogen host plants as larvae are more fecund, but their eggs are smaller relative to their body size. Nitrogen and sodium content of host plants are also both positively related to eye size. Some of these relationships show pronounced lineage-specific effects. Testis size is not related to nutrition. Additionally, the evolutionary timing of diet shifts is not important, suggesting that nutrition affects life histories regardless of the length of time a species has been adapting to its diet. Our results suggest that, at least for some lineages, species with higher nutrient diets can invest in a range of fitness-related traits like fecundity and eye size while allocating less to each egg as offspring have access to a richer diet. These results have important implications for the evolution of life histories in the face of anthropogenic changes in nutrient availability.

scholarly journals Harsh environments and "fast" human life histories: What does the theory say?

2015 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ryan Baldini
Keyword(s):  
Life History ◽  
Life Histories ◽  
Life History Theory ◽  
Environmental Changes ◽  
Human Life ◽  
Life History Evolution ◽  
Harsh Environments ◽  
Harsh Environment ◽  
Common Belief ◽  
Vital Rates

A common belief among human life history researchers is that "harsher" environments - i.e., those with higher mortality rates and resource stress - select for "fast" life histories, i.e. earlier reproduction and faster senescence. I show that these "harsh environments, fast life histories" - or HEFLH - hypotheses are poorly supported by evolutionary theory. First, I use a simple model to show that effects of environmental harshness on life history evolution are incredibly diverse. In particular, small changes in basic but poorly understood variables - e.g., whether and how population density affects vital rates - can cause selection to favor very different life histories. Furthermore, I show that almost all life history theory used to justify HEFLH hypotheses is misapplied in the first place. The reason is that HEFLH hypotheses usually treat plastic responses to heterogeneous environmental conditions within a population, whereas the theory used to justify such hypotheses treat genetic responses to environmental changes across an entire population. Counter-intuitively, the predictions of the former do not generally apply to the latter: the optimal response to a harsh environment within a large heterogeneous environment is not necessarily the optimal strategy of a population uniformly inhabiting the same harsh environment. I discuss these theoretical results in light of the current state of empirical research.

A Primer of Life Histories

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeffrey A. Hutchings
Keyword(s):  
Life History ◽  
Life Histories ◽  
Life History Theory ◽  
Life History Traits ◽  
Reproductive Effort ◽  
Effective Means ◽  
Academic Experience ◽  
Sustainable Exploitation ◽  
Evolution Of Life ◽  
Opportune Time

Life histories describe how genotypes schedule their reproductive effort throughout life in response to factors that affect their survival and fecundity. Life histories are solutions that selection has produced to solve the problem of how to persist in a given environment. These solutions differ tremendously within and among species. Some organisms mature within months of attaining life, others within decades; some produce few, large offspring as opposed to numerous, small offspring; some reproduce many times throughout their lives while others die after reproducing just once. The exponential pace of life-history research provides an opportune time to engage and re-engage new generations of students and researchers on the fundamentals and applications of life-history theory. Chapters 1 through 4 describe the fundamentals of life-history theory. Chapters 5 through 8 focus on the evolution of life-history traits. Chapters 9 and 10 summarize how life-history theory and prediction has been applied within the contexts of conservation and sustainable exploitation. This primer offers an effective means of rendering the topic accessible to readers from a broad range of academic experience and research expertise.

The evolution of childhood as a by-product?

2006 ◽  
Vol 29 (3) ◽  
pp. 288-289
Author(s):  
Peter Kappeler
Keyword(s):  
Life History ◽  
Life Histories ◽  
Nonhuman Primates ◽  
Homo Sapiens ◽  
Human Life ◽  
Life History Evolution ◽  
History Evolution ◽  
Linguistic Skills

The proposition that selective advantages of linguistic skills have contributed to shifts in ontogenetic landmarks of human life histories in early Homo sapiens is weakened by neglecting alternative mechanisms of life history evolution. Moreover, arguments about biological continuity through sweeping comparisons with nonhuman primates do not support various assumptions of this scenario.

scholarly journals Density Dependence, Evolutionary Optimization, and the Diversification of Avian Life Histories

The Condor ◽  
2000 ◽  
Vol 102 (1) ◽  
pp. 9-22 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert E. Ricklefs
Keyword(s):  
Life History ◽  
Life Table ◽  
Life Histories ◽  
Life History Traits ◽  
Evolutionary Ecology ◽  
Reproductive Rate ◽  
Empirical Modeling ◽  
Adult Survival ◽  
Life History Variation ◽  
Evolutionary Response

Abstract Although we have learned much about avian life histories during the 50 years since the seminal publications of David Lack, Alexander Skutch, and Reginald Moreau, we still do not have adequate explanations for some of the basic patterns of variation in life-history traits among birds. In part, this reflects two consequences of the predominance of evolutionary ecology thinking during the past three decades. First, by blurring the distinction between life-history traits and life-table variables, we have tended to divorce life histories from their environmental context, which forms the link between the life history and the life table. Second, by emphasizing constrained evolutionary responses to selective factors, we have set aside alternative explanations for observed correlations among life-history traits and life-table variables. Density-dependent feedback and independent evolutionary response to correlated aspects of the environment also may link traits through different mechanisms. Additionally, in some cases we have failed to evaluate quantitatively ideas that are compelling qualitatively, ignored or explained away relevant empirical data, and neglected logical implications of certain compelling ideas. Comparative analysis of avian life histories shows that species are distributed along a dominant slow-fast axis. Furthermore, among birds, annual reproductive rate and adult mortality are directly proportional to each other, requiring that pre-reproductive survival is approximately constant. This further implies that age at maturity increases dramatically with increasing adult survival rate. The significance of these correlations is obscure, particularly because survival and reproductive rates at each age include the effects of many life-history traits. For example, reproductive rate is determined by clutch size, nesting success, season length, and nest-cycle length, each of which represents the outcome of many different interactions of an individual's life-history traits with its environment. Resolution of the most basic issues raised by patterns of life histories clearly will require innovative empirical, modeling, and experimental approaches. However, the most fundamental change required at this time is a broadening of the evolutionary ecology paradigm to include a variety of alternative mechanisms for generating patterns of life-history variation.

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