The shape of the trade-off function between reproduction and future performance in Plantago major and Plantago rugelii

2002 ◽  
Vol 80 (2) ◽  
pp. 140-150 ◽  
Author(s):  
Edward G Reekie ◽  
Sonya Budge ◽  
Jennifer L Baltzer
Keyword(s):  
Life History Theory ◽  
Reproductive Investment ◽  
Plantago Major ◽  
Trade Off ◽  
Reproductive Tissues ◽  
Future Performance ◽  
Resource Requirements ◽  
Survival And Reproduction ◽  
Sib Families ◽  
Low Levels

There is a paucity of data describing the nature of the trade-off function between reproduction and future performance. Most studies implicitly assume it is a linear function such that allocation of resources to reproduction results in a proportional decline in future survival and reproduction. We reanalyse data from a field experiment with half-sib families of Plantago major L. that suggests this relationship is in fact curvilinear. Low levels of reproductive investment had relatively little impact on future performance and higher levels of investment had a larger impact. To explain this curvilinear pattern, we conducted an experiment to examine the effect of incremental increases in reproductive investment on rates of resource uptake in P. major and Plantago rugelii Decne. Results suggest that, because of differences in the resource requirements of vegetative versus reproductive tissues, reproduction will have little effect on growth, providing that the limiting resources are required in greater quantities for vegetative as compared with reproductive tissues. These results are in accord with a curvilinear trade-off function between reproduction and future performance and provide an explanation for the maintenance of sexual reproduction in species where seed production may contribute minimally to fitness in the short term.Key words: reproductive cost, resource allocation, life-history theory, nitrogen uptake, reproductive photosynthesis, Plantago major, Plantago rugelii.

Testing Williams’ prediction: reproductive effort versus residual reproductive value (RRV)

2010 ◽  
Vol 88 (9) ◽  
pp. 900-904
Author(s):  
F. Stephen Dobson ◽  
Pierre Jouventin
Keyword(s):  
Life History ◽  
Life History Theory ◽  
Reproductive Investment ◽  
Positive Association ◽  
Positive Influence ◽  
Life Cycles ◽  
Reproductive Value ◽  
Residual Reproductive Value ◽  
Trade Offs ◽  
Survival And Reproduction

Williams (1966; Am. Nat. 100(916): 687–690) furthered R.A. Fisher’s concept of reproductive value by breaking it into two components: (1) current reproduction and (2) residual reproductive value (RRV, the summed product of survival and reproduction over the rest of the lifespan). He predicted a negative correlation of measures of these two components among species, and this prediction led in part to the idea of trade-offs in life-history theory. We tested Williams’ prediction with 24 species of albatrosses and petrels (order Procellariiformes), species with a great range of body sizes and all laying only one egg at a time (like humans, highly iteroparous). Two measures of reproductive investment were not negatively correlated with RRV. Adjusting data for body mass and phylogeny resulted in significant positive associations. In addition, any measure of annual parental allocation to reproduction (once adjusted for body size) should give a positive association with RRV as shown by a simple simulation model that assumes a highly iteroparous life cycle. Under such life cycles, Williams’ prediction confounds the positive influence of reproduction on both current investment and RRV. Principles of life-history theory, however, do not require re-evaluation, as this particular prediction can in at least some cases be internally inconsistent.

scholarly journals A trade-off between reproductive investment and maternal cerebellum size in a precocial bird

2016 ◽  
Vol 12 (12) ◽  
pp. 20160659 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christina Ebneter ◽  
Joel L. Pick ◽  
Barbara Tschirren
Keyword(s):  
Parental Investment ◽  
Life History Theory ◽  
Natural Populations ◽  
Reproductive Investment ◽  
Maternal Investment ◽  
Reproductive Behaviour ◽  
Trade Off ◽  
Precocial Bird ◽  
Animal Populations ◽  
Investment In Reproduction

Natural selection favours increased investment in reproduction, yet considerable variation in parental investment is observed in natural populations. Life-history theory predicts that this variation is maintained by a trade-off between the benefits of increased reproductive investment and its associated costs for the parents. The nature of these costs of reproduction, however, remains poorly understood. The brain is an energetically highly expensive organ and increased reproductive investment may, therefore, negatively affect brain maintenance. Using artificial selection lines for high and low prenatal maternal investment in a precocial bird, the Japanese quail ( Coturnix japonica ), we provide experimental evidence for this hypothesis by showing that increased prenatal provisioning negatively affects the size of a particular brain region of the mother, the cerebellum. Our finding suggests that cognitive demands may constrain the evolution of parental investment, and vice versa, contributing to the maintenance of variation in reproductive behaviour in animal populations.

scholarly journals Glucocorticoids, state-dependent reproductive investment and success in the face of danger in a long-lived bird

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kristina Noreikienė ◽  
Kim Jaatinen ◽  
Benjamin B. Steele ◽  
Markus Öst
Keyword(s):  
Predation Risk ◽  
Telomere Length ◽  
Clutch Size ◽  
Body Condition ◽  
Nest Predation ◽  
Hatching Success ◽  
Reproductive Investment ◽  
Trade Off ◽  
Relative Telomere Length ◽  
Future Reproduction

AbstractGlucocorticoid hormones may mediate trade-offs between current and future reproduction. However, understanding their role is complicated by predation risk, which simultaneously affects the value of the current reproductive investment and elevates glucocorticoid levels. Here, we shed light on these issues in long-lived female Eiders (Somateria mollissima) by investigating how current reproductive investment (clutch size) and hatching success relate to faecal glucocorticoid metabolite [fGCM] level and residual reproductive value (minimum years of breeding experience, body condition, relative telomere length) under spatially variable predation risk. Our results showed a positive relationship between colony-specific predation risk and mean colony-specific fGCM levels. Clutch size and female fGCM were negatively correlated only under high nest predation and in females in good body condition, previously shown to have a longer life expectancy. We also found that younger females with longer telomeres had smaller clutches. The drop in hatching success with increasing fGCM levels was least pronounced under high nest predation risk, suggesting that elevated fGCM levels may allow females to ensure some reproductive success under such conditions. Hatching success was positively associated with female body condition, with relative telomere length, particularly in younger females, and with female minimum age, particularly under low predation risk, showing the utility of these metrics as indicators of individual quality. In line with a trade-off between current and future reproduction, our results show that high potential for future breeding prospects and increased predation risk shift the balance toward investment in future reproduction, with glucocorticoids playing a role in the resolution of this trade-off.

scholarly journals Enzymatic antioxidants but not baseline glucocorticoids mediate the reproduction–survival trade-off in a wild bird

2018 ◽  
Vol 285 (1892) ◽  
pp. 20182141 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stefania Casagrande ◽  
Michaela Hau
Keyword(s):  
Life History ◽  
Body Condition ◽  
Redox State ◽  
Reproductive Investment ◽  
Redox System ◽  
Reactive Oxygen Metabolites ◽  
Enzymatic Antioxidants ◽  
Trade Off ◽  
Trade Offs ◽  
Nest Provisioning

The trade-off between reproductive investment and survival is central to life-history theory, but the relative importance and the complex interactions among the physiological mechanisms mediating it are still debated. Here we experimentally tested whether baseline glucocorticoid hormones, the redox system or their interaction mediate reproductive investment–survival trade-offs in wild great tits ( Parus major ). We increased the workload of parental males by clipping three feathers on each wing, and 5 days later determined effects on baseline corticosterone concentrations (Cort), redox state (reactive oxygen metabolites, protein carbonyls, glutathione peroxidase [GPx], total non-enzymatic antioxidants), body mass, body condition, reproductive success and survival. Feather-clipping did not affect fledgling numbers, chick body condition, nest provisioning rates or survival compared with controls. However, feather-clipped males lost mass and increased both Cort and GPx concentrations. Within feather-clipped individuals, GPx increases were positively associated with reproductive investment (i.e. male nest provisioning). Furthermore, within all individuals, males that increased GPx suffered reduced survival rates. Baseline Cort increases were related to mass loss but not to redox state, nest provisioning or male survival. Our findings provide experimental evidence that changes in the redox system are associated with the trade-off between reproductive investment and survival, while baseline Cort may support this trade-off indirectly through a link with body condition. These results also emphasize that plastic changes in individuals, rather than static levels of physiological signals, may mediate life-history trade-offs.

scholarly journals Trade-off between offspring mass and number: the lightest offspring bear the costs

2020 ◽  
Vol 16 (2) ◽  
pp. 20190707
Author(s):  
Joanie Van de Walle ◽  
Andreas Zedrosser ◽  
Jon E. Swenson ◽  
Fanie Pelletier
Keyword(s):  
Life History ◽  
Litter Size ◽  
Phenotypic Variation ◽  
Reproductive Strategy ◽  
Life History Theory ◽  
Brown Bear ◽  
Offspring Size ◽  
Trade Off ◽  
The Relationship

Life-history theory predicts a trade-off between offspring size and number. However, the role of intra-litter phenotypic variation in shaping this trade-off is often disregarded. We compared the strength of the relationship between litter size and mass from the perspective of the lightest and the heaviest yearling offspring in 110 brown bear litters in Sweden. We showed that the mass of the lightest yearlings decreased with increasing litter size, but that the mass of the heaviest yearling remained stable, regardless of litter size. Consistent with a conservative reproductive strategy, our results suggest that mothers maintained a stable investment in a fraction of the litter, while transferring the costs of larger litter size to the remaining offspring. Ignoring intra-litter phenotypic variation may obscure our ability to detect a trade-off between offspring size and number.

scholarly journals Long-term fitness consequences of early environment in a long-lived ungulate

2017 ◽  
Vol 284 (1853) ◽  
pp. 20170222 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gabriel Pigeon ◽  
Marco Festa-Bianchet ◽  
Fanie Pelletier
Keyword(s):  
Early Life ◽  
Ovis Canadensis ◽  
High Density ◽  
Developmental Trajectory ◽  
Cohort Effects ◽  
Early Environment ◽  
Future Performance ◽  
Survival And Reproduction ◽  
Predictive Adaptive Response

Cohort effects can be a major source of heterogeneity and play an important role in population dynamics. Silver-spoon effects, when environmental quality at birth improves future performance regardless of the adult environment, can induce strong lagged responses on population growth. Alternatively, the external predictive adaptive response (PAR) hypothesis predicts that organisms will adjust their developmental trajectory and physiology during early life in anticipation of expected adult conditions but has rarely been assessed in wild species. We used over 40 years of detailed individual monitoring of bighorn ewes ( Ovis canadensis ) to quantify long-term cohort effects on survival and reproduction. We then tested both the silver-spoon and the PAR hypotheses. Cohort effects involved a strong interaction between birth and current environments: reproduction and survival were lowest for ewes that were born and lived at high population densities. This interaction, however, does not support the PAR hypothesis because individuals with matching high-density birth and adult environments had reduced fitness. Instead, individuals born at high density had overall lower lifetime fitness suggesting a silver-spoon effect. Early-life conditions can induce long-term changes in fitness components, and their effects on cohort fitness vary according to adult environment.

scholarly journals Actuarial senescence in a long-lived orchid challenges our current understanding of ageing

2016 ◽  
Vol 283 (1842) ◽  
pp. 20161217 ◽  
Author(s):  
Johan Petter Dahlgren ◽  
Fernando Colchero ◽  
Owen R. Jones ◽  
Dag-Inge Øien ◽  
Asbjørn Moen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Death Rate ◽  
Trajectory Analysis ◽  
Reproductive Investment ◽  
Growing Season ◽  
Weibull Model ◽  
Plant Population Dynamics ◽  
Trade Off ◽  
Climatic Regions ◽  
Germ Cell Line ◽  
Positive Effect

The dominant evolutionary theory of actuarial senescence—an increase in death rate with advancing age—is based on the concept of a germ cell line that is separated from the somatic cells early in life. However, such a separation is not clear in all organisms. This has been suggested to explain the paucity of evidence for actuarial senescence in plants. We used a 32 year study of Dactylorhiza lapponica that replaces its organs each growing season, to test whether individuals of this tuberous orchid senesce. We performed a Bayesian survival trajectory analysis accounting for reproductive investment, for individuals under two types of land use, in two climatic regions. The mortality trajectory was best approximated by a Weibull model, showing clear actuarial senescence. Rates of senescence in this model declined with advancing age, but were slightly higher in mown plots and in the more benign climatic region. At older ages, senescence was evident only when accounting for a positive effect of reproductive investment on mortality. Our results demonstrate actuarial senescence as well as a survival–reproduction trade-off in plants, and indicate that environmental context may influence senescence rates. This knowledge is crucial for understanding the evolution of demographic senescence and for models of plant population dynamics.

scholarly journals Trade-off between age of first reproduction and survival in a female primate

2009 ◽  
Vol 5 (3) ◽  
pp. 339-342 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gregory E. Blomquist
Keyword(s):  
Life History ◽  
Life History Theory ◽  
Rhesus Macaques ◽  
Human Study ◽  
Genetic Correlations ◽  
Adult Survival ◽  
Trade Off ◽  
Trade Offs ◽  
Female Life History ◽  
First Reproduction

Trade-offs are central to life-history theory but difficult to document. Patterns of phenotypic and genetic correlations in rhesus macaques, Macaca mulatta —a long-lived, slow-reproducing primate—are used to test for a trade-off between female age of first reproduction and adult survival. A strong positive genetic correlation indicates that female macaques suffer reduced adult survival when they mature relatively early and implies primate senescence can be explained, in part, by antagonistic pleiotropy. Contrasts with a similar human study implicate the extension of parental effects to later ages as a potential mechanism for circumventing female life-history trade-offs in human evolution.

scholarly journals Assessment of the health and antioxidant trade-off in gilthead sea bream (Sparus aurata L.) fed alternative diets with low levels of contaminants

Aquaculture ◽  
2009 ◽  
Vol 296 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 87-95 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alfonso Saera-Vila ◽  
Laura Benedito-Palos ◽  
Ariadna Sitjà-Bobadilla ◽  
Jaime Nácher-Mestre ◽  
Roque Serrano ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sparus Aurata ◽  
Gilthead Sea Bream ◽  
Sea Bream ◽  
Trade Off ◽  
Low Levels
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