1
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Badger JJ, Bowen WD, den Heyer CE, Breed GA. Large offspring have enhanced lifetime reproductive success: Long-term carry-over effects of weaning size in gray seals ( Halichoerus grypus). Ecol Evol 2023; 13:e10095. [PMID: 37293121 PMCID: PMC10244896 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.10095] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2022] [Revised: 04/13/2023] [Accepted: 04/25/2023] [Indexed: 06/10/2023] Open
Abstract
An individual's size in early stages of life may be an important source of individual variation in lifetime reproductive performance, as size effects on ontogenetic development can have cascading physiological and behavioral consequences throughout life. Here, we explored how size-at-young influences subsequent reproductive performance in gray seals (Halichoerus grypus) using repeated encounter and reproductive data on a marked sample of 363 females that were measured for length after weaning, at ~4 weeks of age, and eventually recruited to the Sable Island breeding colony. Two reproductive traits were considered: provisioning performance (mass of weaned offspring), modeled using linear mixed effects models; and reproductive frequency (rate at which a female returns to breed), modeled using mixed effects multistate mark-recapture models. Mothers with the longest weaning lengths produced pups 8 kg heavier and were 20% more likely to breed in a given year than mothers with the shortest lengths. Correlation in body lengths between weaning and adult life stages, however, is weak: Longer pups do not grow to be longer than average adults. Thus, covariation between weaning length and future reproductive performance appears to be a carry-over effect, where the size advantages afforded in early juvenile stages may allow enhanced long-term performance in adulthood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Janelle J. Badger
- Department of Biology and WildlifeUniversity of Alaska FairbanksFairbanksAlaskaUSA
- Present address:
Pacific Islands Fisheries Science CenterNational Oceanic and Atmospheric AdministrationHonoluluHawaiiUSA
| | - W. Don Bowen
- Department of Fisheries and Oceans CanadaBedford Institute of OceanographyDartmouthNova ScotiaCanada
| | - Cornelia E. den Heyer
- Department of Fisheries and Oceans CanadaBedford Institute of OceanographyDartmouthNova ScotiaCanada
| | - Greg A. Breed
- Department of Biology and WildlifeUniversity of Alaska FairbanksFairbanksAlaskaUSA
- Institute of Arctic BiologyUniversity of Alaska FairbanksFairbanksAlaskaUSA
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2
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Paredes-Molina FJ, Chaparro OR, Navarro JM, Cubillos VM, Montory JA, Pechenik JA. Embryonic encapsulated development of the gastropod Acanthina monodon is impacted by future environmental changes of temperature and pCO 2. MARINE ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2023; 187:105971. [PMID: 37004497 DOI: 10.1016/j.marenvres.2023.105971] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2022] [Revised: 03/15/2023] [Accepted: 03/28/2023] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
Egg capsules of the gastropod Acanthina monodon were maintained during the entire period of encapsulated development at three temperatures (10, 15, 20 °C) and two pCO2 levels (400, 1200 μatm). Embryos per capsule, size at hatching, time to hatching, embryonic metabolic rates, and the resistance of juveniles to shell breakage were quantified. No embryos maintained at 20 °C developed to hatching. The combination of temperature and pCO2 levels had synergistic effects on hatching time and developmental success, antagonistic effects on number of hatchlings per capsule, resistance to juvenile shell cracking and metabolism, and additive effect on hatching size. Juveniles hatched significantly sooner at 15 °C, independent of the pCO2 level that they had been exposed to, while individuals hatched at significantly smaller sizes if they had been held under 15 °C/1200 μatm rather than at 10 °C/low pCO2. Embryos held at the higher pCO2 had a significantly greater percentage of abnormalities. For capsules maintained at low pCO2 and 15 °C, emerging juveniles had less resistance to shell breakage. Embryonic metabolism was significantly higher at 15 °C than at 10 °C, independent of pCO2 level. The lower metabolism occurred in embryos maintained at the higher pCO2 level. Thus, in this study, temperature was the factor that had the greatest effect on the encapsulated development of A. monodon, increasing the metabolism of the embryos and consequently accelerating development, which was expressed in a shorter intracapsular development time, but with smaller individuals at hatching and a lower resistance of their shells to breakage. On the other hand, the high pCO2 level suppressed metabolism, prolonged intracapsular development, and promoted more incomplete development of the embryos. However, the combination of the two factors can mitigate--to some extent--the adverse effects of both incomplete development and lower resistance to shell breakage.
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Affiliation(s)
- F J Paredes-Molina
- Instituto de Ciencias Marinas y Limnologicas, Universidad Austral de Chile, Valdivia, Chile.
| | - O R Chaparro
- Instituto de Ciencias Marinas y Limnologicas, Universidad Austral de Chile, Valdivia, Chile
| | - J M Navarro
- Instituto de Ciencias Marinas y Limnologicas, Universidad Austral de Chile, Valdivia, Chile; Centro FONDAP de Investigación de Ecosistemas Marinos de Altas Latitudes (IDEAL), Valdivia, Chile
| | - V M Cubillos
- Instituto de Ciencias Marinas y Limnologicas, Universidad Austral de Chile, Valdivia, Chile
| | - J A Montory
- Centro i∼mar, Universidad De Los Lagos, Casilla 557, Puerto Montt, Chile
| | - J A Pechenik
- Biology Department, Tufts University, Medford, MA, 02155, USA
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3
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Colbert PL, Spencer RJ, Janzen FJ. Developmental asynchrony might not reduce fitness in early life in painted turtles. Front Physiol 2022; 13:923912. [PMID: 36091403 PMCID: PMC9459037 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2022.923912] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2022] [Accepted: 07/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Synchronous hatching and emergence of turtles from nests may be adaptive in predator avoidance during dispersal. However, little is known about the phenotypic consequences of such synchrony or the generality of predator avoidance in driving the evolution of this trait. Colbert et al. (2010) found that less advanced embryos hatched early in the presence of more advanced sibs, sustaining a persistent reduction in neuromuscular function. In this study, we experimentally assessed the influence of such accelerated embryonic development on hatching success, winter survival, and survival during terrestrial dispersal from the nest. Although we predicted that shortened incubation periods would reduce survival, early-hatching individuals suffered no detectable fitness costs at any stage considered in this study. Incubation temperature did not affect hatching success, and offspring sex did not affect survival across treatment groups. Incubation regime influenced offspring body size and was negatively correlated with dispersal time, however, there was no effect on survival during winter or terrestrial dispersal. Lack of a detectable fitness cost in these key early-life stages associated with hatching synchrony is consistent with a single, predator avoidance origin for this trait and retention in C. picta and other derived turtles via phylogenetic inertia.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - R.-J. Spencer
- School of Science, Western Sydney University, Penrith, NSW, Australia
| | - F. J. Janzen
- Kellogg Biological Station, Departments of Fisheries & Wildlife and Integrative Biology, Michigan State University, Hickory Corners, MI, United States
- *Correspondence: F. J. Janzen,
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4
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Ersoy S, Maag N, Boehly T, Boucherie PH, Bugnyar T. Sex-specific parental care during postfledging in common ravens. Anim Behav 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2021.09.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
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5
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Cole BJ, Jordan D, LaCour-Roy M, O'Fallon S, Manaker L, Ternest JJ, Askew M, Garey D, Wiernasz DC. The benefits of being big and diverse: early colony survival in harvester ants. Ecology 2021; 103:e03556. [PMID: 34622941 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.3556] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2021] [Revised: 06/25/2021] [Accepted: 07/20/2021] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
In sessile organisms such as plants and benthic invertebrates, founding propagules typically suffer extremely high rates of mortality due to both extrinsic and intrinsic factors. Many social insect species share similarities with these groups, but factors influencing early colony survival are relatively unstudied. We used a field experiment to measure the importance of environmental quality relative to intrinsic colony properties in the harvester ant, Pogonomyrmex occidentalis, by monitoring the survival of 584 experimental colonies. We measured survival of transplanted colonies over four months in each of three years (2014-2016) at a site in western Colorado. Colony survival was primarily determined by colony features. Multiple mating by the queen and larger colony size at the time of transplant increased survival, but queen size, maternal lineage and the composition of plant species in the vicinity of the colony did not. Food supplementation increased survival significantly when natural food was scarce, but was not consistently beneficial, in contrast to predictions. Our results emphasize the general importance of rapid growth and early attainment of large size in the survival of sessile species. However, attributes specific to ants that are a consequence of their sociality also strongly affected survival. Colonies with multiply-mated queens were more likely to survive over a wide range of circumstances, highlighting the importance of this trait even at the early stages of colony life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Blaine J Cole
- Department of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Houston, Houston, Texas, 77204-5001, USA
| | - Dayne Jordan
- Department of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Houston, Houston, Texas, 77204-5001, USA
| | - Montrel LaCour-Roy
- Department of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Houston, Houston, Texas, 77204-5001, USA
| | - Sean O'Fallon
- Department of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Houston, Houston, Texas, 77204-5001, USA.,Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, California, 90095, USA
| | - Logan Manaker
- Department of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Houston, Houston, Texas, 77204-5001, USA
| | - John J Ternest
- Department of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Houston, Houston, Texas, 77204-5001, USA.,Department of Entomology and Nematology, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, 32608, USA
| | - Megan Askew
- Department of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Houston, Houston, Texas, 77204-5001, USA
| | - Daniel Garey
- Department of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Houston, Houston, Texas, 77204-5001, USA
| | - Diane C Wiernasz
- Department of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Houston, Houston, Texas, 77204-5001, USA
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6
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Marshall DJ. Temperature‐mediated variation in selection on offspring size: A multi‐cohort field study. Funct Ecol 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.13879] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Dustin J. Marshall
- Centre for Geometric Biology/School of Biological Sciences Monash University Melbourne VIC Australia
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7
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Dinh H, Nguyen B, Morimoto J, Lundback I, Kumar SS, Ponton F. Transgenerational Effects of Parental Diet on Offspring Development and Disease Resistance in Flies. Front Ecol Evol 2021. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2021.606993] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The environmental conditions experienced by parents influence next generations, with the parental nutritional status playing an important role in shaping offspring phenotypes. Our understanding of transgenerational effects of parental diet on offspring pathogen resistance is, however, poorly documented. We manipulated the quality of parental diet (i.e., mother, father, or both) and measured effects on offspring development and survival after an immune challenge by septic infection. We used Bactrocera tryoni as host model infected with the pathogenic bacterium, Serratia marcescens. Our results showed no significant effect of maternal, or paternal, diet on offspring resistance. Interestingly, when the diet of both parents was manipulated, sons from parents fed either carbohydrate- or protein-biased diets had higher survival upon pathogen infection than sons from parents fed balanced diets. The quality of the parental diet had no effect on offspring developmental traits with the exception of egg hatching percentage which decreased when mothers were fed a protein-biased diet. Our results emphasised the complexity of nutritional transgenerational effects on offspring pathogen resistance and development.
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8
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Cameron H, Johnson DW, Monro K, Marshall DJ. Multilevel Selection on Offspring Size and the Maintenance of Variation. Am Nat 2021; 197:448-460. [PMID: 33755536 DOI: 10.1086/712890] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
AbstractMultilevel selection on offspring size occurs when offspring fitness depends on both absolute size (hard selection) and size relative to neighbors (soft selection). We examined multilevel selection on egg size at two biological scales-within clutches and among clutches from different females-using an external fertilizing tube worm. We exposed clutches of eggs to two sperm environments (limiting and saturating) and measured their fertilization success. We then modeled environmental (sperm-dependent) differences in hard and soft selection on individual eggs as well as selection on clutch-level traits (means and variances). Hard and soft selection differed in strength and form depending on sperm availability-hard selection was consistently stabilizing; soft selection was directional and favored eggs relatively larger (sperm limitation) or smaller (sperm saturation) than the clutch mean. At the clutch level, selection on mean egg size was largely concave, while selection on within-clutch variance was weak but generally negative-although some correlational selection occurred between these two traits. Importantly, we found that the optimal clutch mean egg size differed for mothers and offspring, suggesting some antagonism between the levels of selection. We thus identify several pathways that may maintain offspring size variation: environmentally (sperm-) dependent soft selection, antagonistic multilevel selection, and correlational selection on clutch means and variances. Multilevel approaches are powerful but seldom-used tools for studies of offspring size, and we encourage their future use.
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9
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Bellworthy J, Spangenberg JE, Fine M. Feeding increases the number of offspring but decreases parental investment of Red Sea coral Stylophora pistillata. Ecol Evol 2019; 9:12245-12258. [PMID: 31832157 PMCID: PMC6854114 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.5712] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2019] [Revised: 09/04/2019] [Accepted: 09/13/2019] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Successful reproductive output and recruitment is crucial to coral persistence and recovery following anthropogenic stress. Feeding is known to alter coral physiology and increase resilience to bleaching.The goal of the study was to address the knowledge gap of the influence of feeding on reproductive output and offspring phenotype.Colonies of Stylophora pistillata from the Northern Gulf of Aqaba (Red Sea) were fed an Artemia diet or unfed for 5 months during gametogenesis, fertilization, and brooding. In addition, time to settlement and mortality of planulae were assessed at water temperatures ranging from winter temperature (22°C) to three degrees above average peak summer temperature (31°C). A range of physiological parameters was measured in parents and offspring.In brooding parents, feeding significantly increased protein concentration and more than tripled the number of released planulae. Planulae from unfed colonies had higher chlorophyll per symbiont concentration and concomitantly higher photosynthetic efficiency compared to planulae from fed parents. In settlement assays, planulae showed a similar thermal resistance as known for this Red Sea adult population. Mortality was greater in planulae from unfed parents at ambient and 3°C above ambient temperature despite higher per offspring investment in terms of total fatty acid content. Fatty acid profiles and relative abundances were generally conserved between different fed and unfed colonies but planulae were enriched in monounsaturated fatty acids relative to adults, that is, 16:1, 18:1, 20:1, 22:1, and 24:1 isomers.Ultimately the availability of zooplankton could influence population physiology and recruitment in corals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica Bellworthy
- The Mina and Everard Goodman Faculty of Life SciencesBar Ilan UniversityRamat GanIsrael
- The Interuniversity Institute for Marine Sciences in EilatEilatIsrael
| | - Jorge E. Spangenberg
- Institute of Earth Surface Dynamics (IDYST)University of LausanneLausanneSwitzerland
| | - Maoz Fine
- The Mina and Everard Goodman Faculty of Life SciencesBar Ilan UniversityRamat GanIsrael
- The Interuniversity Institute for Marine Sciences in EilatEilatIsrael
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10
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Cameron H, Marshall DJ. Can competitive asymmetries maintain offspring size variation? A manipulative field test. Evolution 2019; 73:1663-1671. [PMID: 31313289 DOI: 10.1111/evo.13790] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2019] [Revised: 05/13/2019] [Accepted: 05/16/2019] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Offspring sizes vary within populations but the reasons are unclear. Game-theoretic models predict that selection will maintain offspring-size variation when large offspring are superior competitors (i.e., competition is asymmetric), but small offspring are superior colonizers. Empirical tests are equivocal, however, and typically rely on interspecific comparisons, whereas explicit intraspecific tests are rare. In a field study, we test whether offspring size affects competitive asymmetries using the sessile marine invertebrate, Bugula neritina. Surprisingly, we show that offspring size determines whether interactions are competitive or facilitative-large neighbors strongly facilitated small offspring, but also strongly competed with large offspring. These findings contradict the assumptions of classic theory-that is, large offspring were not superior competitors. Instead, smaller offspring actually benefit from interactions with large offspring-suggesting that asymmetric facilitation, rather than asymmetric competition, operates in our system. We argue that facilitation of small offspring may be more widespread than currently appreciated, and may maintain variation in offspring size via negative frequency-dependent selection. Offspring size theory has classically viewed offspring interactions through the lens of competition alone, yet our results and those of others suggest that theory should accommodate positive interactions in explorations of offspring-size variation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hayley Cameron
- Centre for Geometric Biology, School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, 3800, Australia
| | - Dustin J Marshall
- Centre for Geometric Biology, School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, 3800, Australia
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11
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Ameri M, Kemp DJ, Barry KL, Herberstein ME. Age-Specific Reproductive Investment and Offspring Performance in an Orb-web Spider, Argiope radon. Evol Biol 2019. [DOI: 10.1007/s11692-019-09476-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
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12
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Goos JM, Swain CJ, Munch SB, Walsh MR. Maternal diet and age alter direct and indirect relationships between life‐history traits across multiple generations. Funct Ecol 2018. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.13258] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jared M. Goos
- Department of Biology University of Texas at Arlington Arlington Texas
| | - Cameron J. Swain
- Department of Biology University of Texas at Arlington Arlington Texas
| | - Stephan B. Munch
- Fisheries Ecology Division, Southwest Fisheries Science Center National Marine Fisheries Science Center, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Santa Cruz California
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology University of California‐Santa Cruz Santa Cruz California
| | - Matthew R. Walsh
- Department of Biology University of Texas at Arlington Arlington Texas
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13
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Scherer U, Tiedemann R, Schlupp I. Male size, not female preferences influence female reproductive success in a poeciliid fish (Poecilia latipinna): a combined behavioural/genetic approach. BMC Res Notes 2018; 11:364. [PMID: 29884214 PMCID: PMC5994011 DOI: 10.1186/s13104-018-3487-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2018] [Accepted: 06/05/2018] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Objective We investigated the potential role of indirect benefits for female mate preferences in a highly promiscuous species of live-bearing fishes, the sailfin molly Poecilia latipinna using an integrative approach that combines methods from animal behavior, life-history evolution, and genetics. Males of this species solely contribute sperm for reproduction, and consequently females do not receive any direct benefits. Despite this, females typically show clear mate preferences. It has been suggested that females can increase their reproductive success through indirect benefits from choosing males of higher quality. Results Although preferences for large body size have been recorded as an honest signal for genetic quality, this particular study resulted in female preference being unaffected by male body size. Nonetheless, larger males did sire more offspring, but with no effect on offspring quality. This study presents a methodical innovation by combining preference testing with life history measurements—such as the determination of the dry weight of fish embryos—and paternity analyses on single fish embryos. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s13104-018-3487-2) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ulrike Scherer
- Unit of Evolutionary Biology/Systematic Zoology, University of Potsdam, Karl-Liebknecht-Str. 24-25, 14476, Potsdam, Germany.,Institute of Zoology, Universität Hamburg, Martin-Luther-King-Platz 3, 20146, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Ralph Tiedemann
- Unit of Evolutionary Biology/Systematic Zoology, University of Potsdam, Karl-Liebknecht-Str. 24-25, 14476, Potsdam, Germany.
| | - Ingo Schlupp
- Department of Zoology, University of Oklahoma, 730 Van Vleet Oval, Norman, OK, 73019, USA
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14
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Uyà M, Bulleri F, Gribben PE. Propagules are not all equal: traits of vegetative fragments and disturbance regulate invasion success. Ecology 2018; 99:957-965. [DOI: 10.1002/ecy.2168] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2017] [Revised: 11/09/2017] [Accepted: 01/16/2018] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Marc Uyà
- Dipartimento di Biologia Università di Pisa Via Derna 1 Pisa 56126 Italy
- Centre for Marine Bio‐Innovation School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences University of New South Wales New South Wales 2052 Australia
| | - Fabio Bulleri
- Dipartimento di Biologia Università di Pisa Via Derna 1 Pisa 56126 Italy
- CoNISMa Consorzio Nazionale Interuniversitario per le Scienze del Mare Piazzale Flaminio 9 Roma 00196 Italy
| | - Paul E. Gribben
- Centre for Marine Bio‐Innovation School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences University of New South Wales New South Wales 2052 Australia
- Sydney Institute of Marine Science 19 Chowder Bay Road Mosman New South Wales 2088 Australia
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15
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Pupin NC, Haddad CF, Prado CP. Maternal provisioning by foam-nesting frogs of the genus Physalaemus (Anura, Leptodactylidae) in contrasting environments. AMPHIBIA-REPTILIA 2018. [DOI: 10.1163/15685381-00003146] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
In some environments prevailing conditions are unpredictable, thus anuran species use bet-hedging strategies and produce eggs of varied sizes. We investigated whether four species of Physalaemus (two from open, two from forest habitats) exhibit bet-hedging strategies, and if intra-clutch variation in egg size is greater for species that breed in the more unpredictable ponds of open habitats. All species studied adopted the bet-hedging strategy, with intra-clutch variation in egg size regardless of the environment; however, we found greater intra-clutch variation in the two species from open areas. The lower variation in egg-size found within forest habitats may be explained by the more stable environments that forest ponds provide for anuran eggs/embryos. Future studies in a phylogenetic context are needed to confirm the patterns detected here.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nadya C. Pupin
- Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP), Departamento de Zoologia, Instituto de Biociências, Campus Rio Claro, CP 199, 13506-900 Rio Claro, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Célio F.B. Haddad
- Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP), Departamento de Zoologia, Instituto de Biociências, Campus Rio Claro, CP 199, 13506-900 Rio Claro, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Cynthia P.A. Prado
- Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP), Departamento de Morfologia e Fisiologia Animal, Faculdade de Ciências Agrárias e Veterinárias, Campus Jaboticabal, 14884-900 Jaboticabal, São Paulo, Brazil
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16
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Messika I, Garrido M, Kedem H, China V, Gavish Y, Dong Q, Fuqua C, Clay K, Hawlena H. From endosymbionts to host communities: factors determining the reproductive success of arthropod vectors. Oecologia 2017; 184:859-871. [PMID: 28721523 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-017-3906-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2016] [Accepted: 06/20/2017] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Elucidating the factors determining reproductive success has challenged scientists since Darwin, but the exact pathways that shape the evolution of life history traits by connecting extrinsic (e.g., landscape structure) and intrinsic (e.g., female's age and endosymbionts) factors and reproductive success have rarely been studied. Here we collected female fleas from wild rodents in plots differing in their densities and proportions of the most dominant rodent species. We then combined path analysis and model selection approaches to explore the network of effects, ranging from micro to macroscales, determining the reproductive success of these fleas. Our results suggest that female reproductive success is directly and positively associated with their infection by Mycoplasma bacteria and their own body mass, and with the rodent species size and total density. In addition, we found evidence for indirect effects of rodent sex and rodent community diversity on female reproductive success. These results highlight the importance of exploring interrelated factors across organization scales while studying the reproductive success of wild organisms, and they have implications for the control of vector-borne diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Irit Messika
- Department of Life Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel
| | - Mario Garrido
- Mitrani Department of Desert Ecology, Swiss Institute for Dryland Environmental and Energy Research, Jacob Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, 84990, Midreshet Ben-Gurion, Israel
| | - Hadar Kedem
- Department of Life Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel
| | - Victor China
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel
- The Inter-University Institute for Marine Sciences, Eilat, Israel
| | - Yoni Gavish
- Faculty of Biological Sciences, School of Biology, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK
| | - Qunfeng Dong
- Department of Public Health Sciences, Center for Biomedical Informatics, Stritch School of Medicine, Loyola University Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Clay Fuqua
- Department of Biology, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA
| | - Keith Clay
- Department of Biology, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA
| | - Hadas Hawlena
- Mitrani Department of Desert Ecology, Swiss Institute for Dryland Environmental and Energy Research, Jacob Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, 84990, Midreshet Ben-Gurion, Israel.
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17
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Chamberland VF, Latijnhouwers KRW, Huisman J, Hartmann AC, Vermeij MJA. Costs and benefits of maternally inherited algal symbionts in coral larvae. Proc Biol Sci 2017; 284:20170852. [PMID: 28659451 PMCID: PMC5489732 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2017.0852] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2017] [Accepted: 05/26/2017] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Many marine invertebrates provide their offspring with symbionts. Yet the consequences of maternally inherited symbionts on larval fitness remain largely unexplored. In the stony coral Favia fragum (Esper 1797), mothers produce larvae with highly variable amounts of endosymbiotic algae, and we examined the implications of this variation in symbiont density on the performance of F. fragum larvae under different environmental scenarios. High symbiont densities prolonged the period that larvae actively swam and searched for suitable settlement habitats. Thermal stress reduced survival and settlement success in F. fragum larvae, whereby larvae with high symbiont densities suffered more from non-lethal stress and were five times more likely to die compared with larvae with low symbiont densities. These results show that maternally inherited algal symbionts can be either beneficial or harmful to coral larvae depending on the environmental conditions at hand, and suggest that F. fragum mothers use a bet-hedging strategy to minimize risks associated with spatio-temporal variability in their offspring's environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valérie F Chamberland
- Aquatic Microbiology, Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics, University of Amsterdam, Science Park 700, 1098 XH Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- SECORE International, 4673 Northwest Parkway, Hilliard, OH 43026, USA
- CARMABI Foundation, PO Box 2090, Piscaderabaai z/n, Willemstad, Curaçao
| | - Kelly R W Latijnhouwers
- Aquatic Microbiology, Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics, University of Amsterdam, Science Park 700, 1098 XH Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Jef Huisman
- Aquatic Microbiology, Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics, University of Amsterdam, Science Park 700, 1098 XH Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Aaron C Hartmann
- Smithsonian Institution, National Museum of Natural History, 10th Street and Constitution Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20560, USA
- San Diego State University, 5500 Campanile Drive, San Diego, CA 92182, USA
| | - Mark J A Vermeij
- Aquatic Microbiology, Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics, University of Amsterdam, Science Park 700, 1098 XH Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- CARMABI Foundation, PO Box 2090, Piscaderabaai z/n, Willemstad, Curaçao
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18
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Bracewell SA, Johnston EL, Clark GF. Latitudinal variation in the competition‐colonisation trade‐off reveals rate‐mediated mechanisms of coexistence. Ecol Lett 2017. [DOI: 10.1111/ele.12791] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Sally A. Bracewell
- Applied Marine and Estuarine Ecology Lab Evolution and Ecology Research Centre University of New South Wales Sydney2052 NSW Australia
| | - Emma L. Johnston
- Applied Marine and Estuarine Ecology Lab Evolution and Ecology Research Centre University of New South Wales Sydney2052 NSW Australia
| | - Graeme F. Clark
- Applied Marine and Estuarine Ecology Lab Evolution and Ecology Research Centre University of New South Wales Sydney2052 NSW Australia
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19
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Cameron H, Monro K, Malerba M, Munch S, Marshall D. Why do larger mothers produce larger offspring? A test of classic theory. Ecology 2017; 97:3452-3459. [PMID: 27912014 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.1590] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2016] [Revised: 08/29/2016] [Accepted: 09/12/2016] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Across a wide range of taxa, larger mothers produce larger offspring. Theory assumes that larger, more fecund mothers create higher local densities of siblings, and so larger mothers produce larger offspring to offset sibling competition. This assumption has been debated for over 30 yr, but direct empirical tests are surprisingly rare. Here, we test two key assumptions of classic theories that predict sibling competition drives maternal-size-offspring-size (MSOS) correlations: (1) independent effects of offspring size and sibling density on offspring performance or (2) as a product of an interaction between these two factors. To simultaneously test these alternative assumptions, we manipulate offspring size and sibling density in the marine invertebrate, Bugula neritina, and monitor offspring performance in the field. We found that, depending on the fitness metric being considered, offspring size and sibling density can either independently or interactively affect offspring performance. Yet sibling density did not affect offspring performance in the ways that classic theories assume. Given our results, it is unlikely that sibling competition drives the positive MSOS correlation observed in this species. Empirical support for these classic theories remains lacking, suggesting alternative explanations are necessary.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hayley Cameron
- Centre of Geometric Biology, School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, 3800, Australia
| | - Keyne Monro
- Centre of Geometric Biology, School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, 3800, Australia
| | - Martino Malerba
- Centre of Geometric Biology, School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, 3800, Australia
| | - Stephan Munch
- Fisheries Ecology Division, Southwest Fisheries Science Centre, National Marine Fisheries Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Santa Cruz, California, 95060, USA
| | - Dustin Marshall
- Centre of Geometric Biology, School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, 3800, Australia
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20
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Álvarez-Noriega M, Baird AH, Dornelas M, Madin JS, Cumbo VR, Connolly SR. Fecundity and the demographic strategies of coral morphologies. Ecology 2017; 97:3485-3493. [PMID: 27912010 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.1588] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2016] [Revised: 08/28/2016] [Accepted: 09/07/2016] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
Understanding species differences in demographic strategies is a fundamental goal of ecology. In scleractinian corals, colony morphology is tightly linked with many demographic traits, such as size-specific growth and morality. Here we test how well morphology predicts the colony size-fecundity relationship in eight species of broadcast-spawning corals. Variation in colony fecundity is greater among morphologies than between species with a similar morphology, demonstrating that colony morphology can be used as a quantitative proxy for demographic strategies. Additionally, we examine the relationship between size-specific colony fecundity and mechanical vulnerability (i.e., vulnerability to colony dislodgment). Interestingly, the relationship between size-specific fecundity and mechanical vulnerability varied among morphologies. For tabular species, the most fecund colonies are the most mechanically vulnerable, while the opposite is true for massive species. For corymbose and digitate colonies, mechanical vulnerability remains relatively constant as fecundity increases. These results reveal strong differences in the demographic tradeoffs among species of different morphologies. Using colony morphology as a quantitative proxy for demographic strategies can help predict coral community dynamics and responses to anthropogenic change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariana Álvarez-Noriega
- Marine Biology and Aquaculture, College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, 4811, Australia.,ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, 4811, Australia
| | - Andrew H Baird
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, 4811, Australia
| | - Maria Dornelas
- Centre for Biological Diversity, Scottish Oceans Institute, University of St. Andrews, Scotland, KY16 9TH, UK
| | - Joshua S Madin
- Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales, 2109, Australia
| | - Vivian R Cumbo
- Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales, 2109, Australia
| | - Sean R Connolly
- Marine Biology and Aquaculture, College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, 4811, Australia.,ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, 4811, Australia
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21
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Svanfeldt K, Monro K, Marshall DJ. Dispersal duration mediates selection on offspring size. OIKOS 2016. [DOI: 10.1111/oik.03604] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Karin Svanfeldt
- Centre of Geometric Biology/School of Biological Sciences Monash University Victoria 3800 Australia
| | - Keyne Monro
- Centre of Geometric Biology/School of Biological Sciences Monash University Victoria 3800 Australia
| | - Dustin J. Marshall
- Centre of Geometric Biology/School of Biological Sciences Monash University Victoria 3800 Australia
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22
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Cronin AL, Loeuille N, Monnin T. Strategies of offspring investment and dispersal in a spatially structured environment: a theoretical study using ants. BMC Ecol 2016; 16:4. [PMID: 26847456 PMCID: PMC4743417 DOI: 10.1186/s12898-016-0058-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2015] [Accepted: 01/25/2016] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Offspring investment strategies vary markedly between and within taxa, and much of this variation is thought to stem from the trade-off between offspring size and number. While producing larger offspring can increase their competitive ability, this often comes at a cost to their colonization ability. This competition–colonization trade-off (CCTO) is thought to be an important mechanism supporting coexistence of alternative strategies in a wide range of taxa. However, the relative importance of an alternative and possibly synergistic mechanism—spatial structuring of the environment—remains the topic of some debate. In this study, we explore the influence of these mechanisms on metacommunity structure using an agent-based model built around variable life-history traits. Our model combines explicit resource competition and spatial dynamics, allowing us to tease-apart the influence of, and explore the interaction between, the CCTO and the spatial structure of the environment. We test our model using two reproductive strategies which represent extremes of the CCTO and are common in ants. Results Our simulations show that colonisers outperform competitors in environments subject to higher temporal and spatial heterogeneity and are favoured when agents mature late and invest heavily in reproduction, whereas competitors dominate in low-disturbance, high resource environments and when maintenance costs are low. Varying life-history parameters has a marked influence on coexistence conditions and yields evolutionary stable strategies for both modes of reproduction. Nonetheless, we show that these strategies can coexist over a wide range of life-history and environmental parameter values, and that coexistence can in most cases be explained by a CCTO. By explicitly considering space, we are also able to demonstrate the importance of the interaction between dispersal and landscape structure. Conclusions The CCTO permits species employing different reproductive strategies to coexist over a wide range of life-history and environmental parameters, and is likely to be an important factor in structuring ant communities. Our consideration of space highlights the importance of dispersal, which can limit the success of low-dispersers through kin competition, and enhance coexistence conditions for different strategies in spatially structured environments. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12898-016-0058-z) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam L Cronin
- United Graduate School of Agricultural Sciences, Iwate University, 3-18-8 Ueda, Morioka, 020-8550, Japan.
| | - Nicolas Loeuille
- UMR 7618 Institute of Ecology and Environmental Sciences of Paris, Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06, 7 quai St Bernard, 75 252, Paris, France.
| | - Thibaud Monnin
- UMR 7618 Institute of Ecology and Environmental Sciences of Paris, Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06, 7 quai St Bernard, 75 252, Paris, France.
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23
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Forsman ZH, Page CA, Toonen RJ, Vaughan D. Growing coral larger and faster: micro-colony-fusion as a strategy for accelerating coral cover. PeerJ 2015; 3:e1313. [PMID: 26500822 PMCID: PMC4614846 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.1313] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2015] [Accepted: 09/20/2015] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Fusion is an important life history strategy for clonal organisms to increase access to shared resources, to compete for space, and to recover from disturbance. For reef building corals, fragmentation and colony fusion are key components of resilience to disturbance. Observations of small fragments spreading tissue and fusing over artificial substrates prompted experiments aimed at further characterizing Atlantic and Pacific corals under various conditions. Small (∼1–3 cm2) fragments from the same colony spaced regularly over ceramic tiles resulted in spreading at rapid rates (e.g., tens of square centimeters per month) followed by isogenic fusion. Using this strategy, we demonstrate growth, in terms of area encrusted and covered by living tissue, of Orbicella faveolata, Pseudodiploria clivosa, and Porites lobata as high as 63, 48, and 23 cm2 per month respectively. We found a relationship between starting and ending size of fragments, with larger fragments growing at a faster rate. Porites lobata showed significant tank effects on rates of tissue spreading indicating sensitivity to biotic and abiotic factors. The tendency of small coral fragments to encrust and fuse over a variety of surfaces can be exploited for a variety of applications such as coral cultivation, assays for coral growth, and reef restoration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zac H Forsman
- Division of Aquatic Resources, State of Hawaii , Honolulu, HI , United States ; Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology , Kaneohe, HI , United States
| | | | - Robert J Toonen
- Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology , Kaneohe, HI , United States
| | - David Vaughan
- Mote Marine Laboratory , Summerland Key, FL , United States
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24
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Rollinson N, Rowe L. The positive correlation between maternal size and offspring size: fitting pieces of a life-history puzzle. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2015; 91:1134-1148. [PMID: 26289842 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12214] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2015] [Revised: 07/03/2015] [Accepted: 07/23/2015] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
The evolution of investment per offspring (I) is often viewed through the lens of the classic theory, in which variation among individuals in a population is not expected. A substantial departure from this prediction arises in the form of correlations between maternal body size and I, which are observed within populations in virtually all taxonomic groups. Based on the generality of this observation, we suggest it is caused by a common underlying mechanism. We pursue a unifying explanation for this pattern by reviewing all theoretical models that attempt to explain it. We assess the generality of the mechanism upon which each model is based, and the extent to which data support its predictions. Two classes of adaptive models are identified: models that assume that the correlation arises from maternal influences on the relationship between I and offspring fitness [w(I)], and those that assume that maternal size influences the relationship between I and maternal fitness [W(I)]. The weight of evidence suggests that maternal influences on w(I) are probably not very general, and even for taxa where maternal influences on w(I) are likely, experiments fail to support model predictions. Models that assume that W(I) varies with maternal size appear to offer more generality, but the current challenge is to identify a specific and general mechanism upon which W(I) varies predictably with maternal size. Recent theory suggests the exciting possibility that a yet unknown mechanism modifies the offspring size-number trade-off function in a manner that is predictable with respect to maternal size, such that W(I) varies with size. We identify two promising avenues of inquiry. First, the trade-off might be modified by energetic costs that are associated with the initiation of reproduction ('overhead costs') and that scale with I, and future work could investigate what specific overhead costs are generally associated with reproduction and whether these costs scale with I. Second, the trade-off might be modified by virtue of condition-dependent offspring provisioning coupled with metabolic factors, and future work could investigate the proximate cause of, and generality of, condition-dependent offspring provisioning. Finally, drawing on the existing literature, we suggest that maternal size per se is not causatively related to variation in I, and the mechanism involved in the correlation is instead linked to maternal nutritional status or maternal condition, which is usually correlated with maternal size. Using manipulative experiments to elucidate why females with high nutritional status typically produce large offspring might help explain what specific mechanism underlies the maternal-size correlation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Njal Rollinson
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto, 25 Willcocks St., Toronto, Ontario, M5S 3B2, Canada.
| | - Locke Rowe
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto, 25 Willcocks St., Toronto, Ontario, M5S 3B2, Canada
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25
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Sun Z, Hamel JF, Parrish CC, Mercier A. Complex offspring size effects: variations across life stages and between species. Ecol Evol 2015; 5:1117-29. [PMID: 25798228 PMCID: PMC4364825 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.1320] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2014] [Accepted: 11/04/2014] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Classical optimality models of offspring size and number assume a monotonically increasing relationship between offspring size and performance. In aquatic organisms with complex life cycles, the size-performance function is particularly hard to grasp because measures of performance are varied and their relationships with size may not be consistent throughout early ontogeny. Here, we examine size effects in premetamorphic (larval) and postmetamorphic (juvenile) stages of brooding marine animals and show that they vary contextually in strength and direction during ontogeny and among species. Larger offspring of the sea anemone Urticina felina generally outperformed small siblings at the larval stage (i.e., greater settlement and survival rates under suboptimal conditions). However, results differed when analyses were conducted at the intrabrood versus across-brood levels, suggesting that the relationship between larval size and performance is mediated by parentage. At the juvenile stage (15 months), small offspring were less susceptible than large ones to predation by subadult nudibranchs and both sizes performed similarly when facing adult nudibranchs. In a sympatric species with a different life history (Aulactinia stella), all juveniles suffered similar predation rates by subadult nudibranchs, but smaller juveniles performed better (lower mortalities) when facing adult nudibranchs. Size differences in premetamorphic performance of U. felina were linked to total lipid contents of larvae, whereas size-specific predation of juvenile stages followed the general predictions of the optimal foraging strategy. These findings emphasize the challenge in gathering empirical support for a positive monotonic size-performance function in taxa that exhibit complex life cycles, which are dominant in the sea.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhao Sun
- Department of Ocean Sciences, Memorial University St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, A1C 5S7, Canada
| | - Jean-François Hamel
- Society for the Exploration and Valuing of the Environment (SEVE) 21 Phils Hill Road, Portugal Cove-St. Philips, Newfoundland and Labrador, A1M 2B7, Canada
| | - Christopher C Parrish
- Department of Ocean Sciences, Memorial University St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, A1C 5S7, Canada
| | - Annie Mercier
- Department of Ocean Sciences, Memorial University St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, A1C 5S7, Canada
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26
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Marshall DJ, Burgess SC. Deconstructing environmental predictability: seasonality, environmental colour and the biogeography of marine life histories. Ecol Lett 2014; 18:174-81. [PMID: 25534504 DOI: 10.1111/ele.12402] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2014] [Revised: 09/11/2014] [Accepted: 11/19/2014] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Environmental predictability is predicted to shape the evolution of life histories. Two key types of environmental predictability, seasonality and environmental colour, may influence life-history evolution independently but formal considerations of both and how they relate to life history are exceedingly rare. Here, in a global biogeographical analysis of over 800 marine invertebrates, we explore the relationships between both forms of environmental predictability and three fundamental life-history traits: location of larval development (aplanktonic vs. planktonic), larval developmental mode (feeding vs. non-feeding) and offspring size. We found that both dispersal potential and offspring size related to environmental predictability, but the relationships depended on both the environmental factor as well as the type of predictability. Environments that were more seasonal in food availability had a higher prevalence of species with a planktonic larval stage. Future studies should consider both types of environmental predictability as each can strongly affect life-history evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dustin J Marshall
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, 3800, Australia
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27
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Abstract
The relationship between offspring size and performance determines the optimal trade-off between producing many small offspring or fewer large offspring and the existence of this relationship has become a central tenet of life-history theory. For organisms with multiple life-history stages, the relationship between offspring size and performance is determined by the effects of offspring size in each life-history stage. Marine invertebrates have long been a model system for examining the evolutionary ecology of offspring size, and whilst offspring size effects have been found in several life-history stages, the crucial stage of colonization has received less attention. We examined the effect of offspring size on the settlement response of sea-urchin larvae (Heliocidaris erythrogramma) to preferred and less preferred host plants, how these effects changed over the larval period and estimated the success of juveniles in the field on preferred and less-preferred host plants. We found that smaller larvae became competent to respond to preferred host plant cues sooner than larger larvae but larger larvae rejected less-preferred host plants for longer than smaller larvae. Overall, smaller H. erythrogramma larvae are likely to have less dispersal potential and are more likely to settle in less-preferred habitats whereas larger larvae appear to have an obligately longer dispersal period but settle in preferred habitats. Our results suggest that marine invertebrates that produce non-feeding larvae may have the potential to affect the dispersal of their offspring in previously unanticipated ways and that offspring size is subject to a complex web of selection across life-history stages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dustin J Marshall
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC 3800, Australia
| | - Peter D Steinberg
- School of Biological, Earth & Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, 2052 NSW, Australia
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28
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Kindsvater HK, Otto SP. The Evolution of Offspring Size across Life-History Stages. Am Nat 2014; 184:543-55. [DOI: 10.1086/678248] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
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29
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Allen RM, Marshall D. Egg size effects across multiple life-history stages in the marine annelid Hydroides diramphus. PLoS One 2014; 9:e102253. [PMID: 25036850 PMCID: PMC4103814 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0102253] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2014] [Accepted: 06/17/2014] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The optimal balance of reproductive effort between offspring size and number depends on the fitness of offspring size in a particular environment. The variable environments offspring experience, both among and within life-history stages, are likely to alter the offspring size/fitness relationship and favor different offspring sizes. Hence, the many environments experienced throughout complex life-histories present mothers with a significant challenge to optimally allocate their reproductive effort. In a marine annelid, we tested the relationship between egg size and performance across multiple life-history stages, including: fertilization, larval development, and post-metamorphosis survival and size in the field. We found evidence of conflicting effects of egg size on performance: larger eggs had higher fertilization under sperm-limited conditions, were slightly faster to develop pre-feeding, and were larger post-metamorphosis; however, smaller eggs had higher fertilization when sperm was abundant, and faster planktonic development; and egg size did not affect post-metamorphic survival. The results indicate that egg size effects are conflicting in H. diramphus depending on the environments within and among life-history stages. We suggest that offspring size in this species may be a compromise between the overall costs and benefits of egg sizes in each stage and that performance in any one stage is not maximized.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard M. Allen
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland, Australia
| | - Dustin Marshall
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland, Australia
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30
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Monro K, Marshall DJ. Faster Is Not Always Better: Selection on Growth Rate Fluctuates across Life History and Environments. Am Nat 2014; 183:798-809. [DOI: 10.1086/676006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
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31
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Smith KE, Thatje S. The subtle intracapsular survival of the fittest: maternal investment, sibling conflict, or environmental effects? Ecology 2013; 94:2263-74. [DOI: 10.1890/12-1701.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
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32
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Hartmann AC, Marhaver KL, Chamberland VF, Sandin SA, Vermeij MJA. Large birth size does not reduce negative latent effects of harsh environments across life stages in two coral species. Ecology 2013; 94:1966-76. [DOI: 10.1890/13-0161.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
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33
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Rollinson N, Hutchings JA. The relationship between offspring size and fitness: integrating theory and empiricism. Ecology 2013; 94:315-24. [PMID: 23691651 DOI: 10.1890/2-0552.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
How parents divide the energy available for reproduction between size and number of offspring has a profound effect on parental reproductive success. Theory indicates that the relationship between offspring size and offspring fitness is of fundamental importance to the evolution of parental reproductive strategies: this relationship predicts the optimal division of resources between size and number of offspring, it describes the fitness consequences for parents that deviate from optimality, and its shape can predict the most viable type of investment strategy in a given environment (e.g., conservative vs. diversified bet-hedging). Many previous attempts to estimate this relationship and the corresponding value of optimal offspring size have been frustrated by a lack of integration between theory and empiricism. In the present study, we draw from C. Smith and S. Fretwell's classic model to explain how a sound estimate of the offspring size--fitness relationship can be derived with empirical data. We evaluate what measures of fitness can be used to model the offspring size--fitness curve and optimal size, as well as which statistical models should and should not be used to estimate offspring size--fitness relationships. To construct the fitness curve, we recommend that offspring fitness be measured as survival up to the age at which the instantaneous rate of offspring mortality becomes random with respect to initial investment. Parental fitness is then expressed in ecologically meaningful, theoretically defensible, and broadly comparable units: the number of offspring surviving to independence. Although logistic and asymptotic regression have been widely used to estimate offspring size-fitness relationships, the former provides relatively unreliable estimates of optimal size when offspring survival and sample sizes are low, and the latter is unreliable under all conditions. We recommend that the Weibull-1 model be used to estimate this curve because it provides modest improvements in prediction accuracy under experimentally relevant conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Njal Rollinson
- Department of Biology, Dalhousie University, Life Sciences Building, 1355 Oxford St., Halifax, Nova Scotia B3H 4R2 Canada.
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34
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Allen RM, Marshall DJ. Phenotypic links among life-history stages are complex and context-dependent in a marine invertebrate: interactions among offspring size, larval nutrition and postmetamorphic density. Funct Ecol 2013. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.12117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Richard M. Allen
- School of Biological Sciences; University of Queensland; St Lucia Queensland 4072 Australia
| | - Dustin J. Marshall
- School of Biological Sciences; University of Queensland; St Lucia Queensland 4072 Australia
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35
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Leips J, Helen Rodd F, Travis J. The adaptive significance of population differentiation in offspring size of the least killifish, Heterandria formosa. Ecol Evol 2013; 3:948-60. [PMID: 23610636 PMCID: PMC3631406 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.509] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2012] [Revised: 01/20/2013] [Accepted: 01/22/2013] [Indexed: 11/05/2022] Open
Abstract
We tested the hypothesis that density-dependent competition influences the evolution of offspring size. We studied two populations of the least killifish (Heterandria formosa) that differ dramatically in population density; these populations are genetically differentiated for offspring size, and females from both populations produce larger offspring when they experience higher social densities. To look at the influences of population of origin and relative body size on competitive ability, we held females from the high-density population at two different densities to create large and small offspring with the same genetic background. We measured the competitive ability of those offspring in mesocosms that contained either pure or mixed population treatments at either high or low density. High density increased competition, which was most evident in greatly reduced individual growth rates. Larger offspring from the high-density population significantly delayed the onset of maturity of fish from the low-density population. From our results, we infer that competitive conditions in nature have contributed to the evolution of genetically based interpopulation differences in offspring size as well as plasticity in offspring size in response to conspecific density.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeff Leips
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Maryland Baltimore County 1000 Hilltop Circle, Baltimore, MD, 21250, USA ; Department of Biological Science, Florida State University Tallahassee, Florida, 32306, USA
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Niu H, Zhao L, Sun J. Phenotypic plasticity of reproductive traits in response to food availability in invasive and native species of nematode. Biol Invasions 2012. [DOI: 10.1007/s10530-012-0379-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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Collin R, Spangler A. Impacts of adelphophagic development on variation in offspring size, duration of development, and temperature-mediated plasticity. THE BIOLOGICAL BULLETIN 2012; 223:268-277. [PMID: 23264473 DOI: 10.1086/bblv223n3p268] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
Adelphophagic development, where embryos consume sibling embryos or nurse eggs, is particularly common in marine caenogastropods and some families of polychaetes. When exogenous nutrition is provided before hatching, egg size and hatching size can be uncoupled, but advantages and constraints of adelphophagic development compared to development from large eggs are unknown. Here we examine temperature-mediated plasticity in offspring size, brooding duration, and fecundity in the adelphophagic marine gastropod Crepidula cf. onyx. We use these data combined with previously published data on two planktotrophic Crepidula and two Crepidula species that develop from large eggs to test hypotheses about the consequences of adelphophagic development and patterns of variation in offspring size. In Crepidula cf. onyx, egg size shows no significant effect of temperature. Hatching size is significantly larger at 28 °C than at 23 °C but proceeds from fewer eggs per capsule at 28 °C. Hatching size is therefore decoupled from both egg size and the number of eggs per capsule. Although development is faster at the higher temperature, broods are produced roughly every 26-27 days at both temperatures. Increased rate of development has been cited as a potential advantage of adelphophagic development in muricids, but the adelphophagic C. cf. onyx did not develop more quickly than C. atrasolea or C. ustulatulina, species that produce similarly sized hatchlings from large eggs. Comparisons across calyptraeid species support the role of adelphophagy in increasing variance in offspring size. This increased variability is primarily expressed within broods or among broods from the same female, not among females.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel Collin
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Balboa, Republic of Panama.
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Aguirre JD, Miller SH, Morgan SG, Marshall DJ. Relatedness affects the density, distribution and phenotype of colonisers in four sessile marine invertebrates. OIKOS 2012. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1600-0706.2012.20827.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
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39
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Pineda MC, McQuaid CD, Turon X, López-Legentil S, Ordóñez V, Rius M. Tough adults, frail babies: an analysis of stress sensitivity across early life-history stages of widely introduced marine invertebrates. PLoS One 2012; 7:e46672. [PMID: 23077518 PMCID: PMC3470586 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0046672] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2012] [Accepted: 09/06/2012] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
All ontogenetic stages of a life cycle are exposed to environmental conditions so that population persistence depends on the performance of both adults and offspring. Most studies analysing the influence of abiotic conditions on species performance have focussed on adults, while studies covering early life-history stages remain rare. We investigated the responses of early stages of two widely introduced ascidians, Styela plicata and Microcosmus squamiger, to different abiotic conditions. Stressors mimicked conditions in the habitats where both species can be found in their distributional ranges and responses were related to the selection potential of their populations by analysing their genetic diversity. Four developmental stages (egg fertilisation, larval development, settlement, metamorphosis) were studied after exposure to high temperature (30°C), low salinities (26 and 22‰) and high copper concentrations (25, 50 and 100 µg/L). Although most stressors effectively led to failure of complete development (fertilisation through metamorphosis), fertilisation and larval development were the most sensitive stages. All the studied stressors affected the development of both species, though responses differed with stage and stressor. S. plicata was overall more resistant to copper, and some stages of M. squamiger to low salinities. No relationship was found between parental genetic composition and responses to stressors. We conclude that successful development can be prevented at several life-history stages, and therefore, it is essential to consider multiple stages when assessing species' abilities to tolerate stress. Moreover, we found that early development of these species cannot be completed under conditions prevailing where adults live. These populations must therefore recruit from elsewhere or reproduce during temporal windows of more benign conditions. Alternatively, novel strategies or behaviours that increase overall reproductive success might be responsible for ensuring population survival.
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Affiliation(s)
- M. Carmen Pineda
- Department of Animal Biology (Invertebrates), University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | | | - Xavier Turon
- Centre for Advanced Studies of Blanes (CEAB-CSIC), Blanes, Spain
| | | | - Víctor Ordóñez
- Department of Genetics, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Marc Rius
- Department of Evolution and Ecology, University of California Davis, Davis, California, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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Schrader M, Travis J. Assessing the roles of population density and predation risk in the evolution of offspring size in populations of a placental fish. Ecol Evol 2012; 2:1480-90. [PMID: 22957156 PMCID: PMC3434941 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.255] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2012] [Revised: 03/03/2012] [Accepted: 03/07/2012] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Population density is an ecological variable that is hypothesized to be a major agent of selection on offspring size. In high-density populations, high levels of intraspecific competition are expected to favor the production of larger offspring. In contrast, lower levels of intraspecific competition and selection for large offspring should be weaker and more easily overridden by direct selection for increased fecundity in low-density populations. Some studies have found associations between population density and offspring size consistent with this hypothesis. However, their interpretations are often clouded by a number of issues. Here, we use data from a 10-year study of nine populations of the least killifish, Heterandria formosa, to describe the associations of offspring size with habitat type, population density, and predation risk. We found that females from spring populations generally produced larger offspring than females from ponds; however, the magnitude of this difference varied among years. Across all populations, larger offspring were associated with higher densities and lower risks of predation. Interestingly, the associations between the two ecological variables (density and predation risk) and offspring size were largely independent of one another. Our results suggest that previously described genetic differences in offspring size are due to density-dependent natural selection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew Schrader
- Department of Biological Science, Florida State UniversityTallahassee, Florida 32306-1100
- Department of Animal Biology, University of IllinoisChampaign, Illinois 61820
| | - Joseph Travis
- Department of Biological Science, Florida State UniversityTallahassee, Florida 32306-1100
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Marshall DJ, Monro K. INTERSPECIFIC COMPETITION ALTERS NONLINEAR SELECTION ON OFFSPRING SIZE IN THE FIELD. Evolution 2012; 67:328-37. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1558-5646.2012.01749.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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McAlister JS, Moran AL. Relationships among egg size, composition, and energy: a comparative study of geminate sea urchins. PLoS One 2012; 7:e41599. [PMID: 22911821 PMCID: PMC3402426 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0041599] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2012] [Accepted: 06/22/2012] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Egg size is one of the fundamental parameters in the life histories of marine organisms. However, few studies have examined the relationships among egg size, composition, and energetic content in a phylogenetically controlled context. We investigated the associations among egg size, composition, and energy using a comparative system, geminate species formed by the closure of the Central American Seaway. We examined western Atlantic (WA) and eastern Pacific (EP) species in three echinoid genera, Echinometra, Eucidaris, and Diadema. In the genus with the largest difference in egg size between geminates (Echinometra), the eggs of WA species were larger, lipid rich and protein poor compared to the smaller eggs of their EP geminate. In addition, the larger WA eggs had significantly greater total egg energy and summed biochemical constituents yet significantly lower egg energy density (energy-per-unit-volume). However, the genera with smaller (Eucidaris) or no (Diadema) differences in egg size were not significantly different in summed biochemical constituents, total egg energy, or energy density. Theoretical models generally assume a strong tradeoff between egg size and fecundity that limits energetic investment and constrains life history evolution. We show that even among closely-related taxa, large eggs cannot be assumed to be scaled-up small eggs either in terms of energy or composition. Although our data comes exclusively from echinoid echinoderms, this pattern may be generalizable to other marine invertebrate taxa. Because egg composition and egg size do not necessarily evolve in lockstep, selective factors such as sperm limitation could act on egg volume without necessarily affecting maternal or larval energetics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justin S McAlister
- Department of Biological Sciences, Clemson University, Clemson, South Carolina, United States of America.
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Segers FHID, Taborsky B. Competition level determines compensatory growth abilities. Behav Ecol 2012. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/ars013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
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Segers FHID, Berishvili G, Taborsky B. Egg size-dependent expression of growth hormone receptor accompanies compensatory growth in fish. Proc Biol Sci 2012; 279:592-600. [PMID: 21752823 PMCID: PMC3234566 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2011.1104] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2011] [Accepted: 06/17/2011] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Large egg size usually boosts offspring survival, but mothers have to trade off egg size against egg number. Therefore, females often produce smaller eggs when environmental conditions for offspring are favourable, which is subsequently compensated for by accelerated juvenile growth. How this rapid growth is modulated on a molecular level is still unclear. As the somatotropic axis is a key regulator of early growth in vertebrates, we investigated the effect of egg size on three key genes belonging to this axis, at different ontogenetic stages in a mouthbrooding cichlid (Simochromis pleurospilus). The expression levels of one of them, the growth hormone receptor (GHR), were significantly higher in large than in small eggs, but remarkably, this pattern was reversed after hatching: young originating from small eggs had significantly higher GHR expression levels as yolk sac larvae and as juveniles. GHR expression in yolk sac larvae was positively correlated with juvenile growth rate and correspondingly fish originating from small eggs grew faster. This enabled them to catch up fully in size within eight weeks with conspecifics from larger eggs. This is the first evidence for a potential link between egg size, an important maternal effect, and offspring gene expression, which mediates an adaptive adjustment in a relevant hormonal axis.
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Affiliation(s)
- F H I D Segers
- Behavioural Ecology, Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Bern, Wohlenstrasse 50a, 3032 Hinterkappelen, Switzerland.
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Cronin AL, Fédérici P, Doums C, Monnin T. The influence of intraspecific competition on resource allocation during dependent colony foundation in a social insect. Oecologia 2011; 168:361-9. [PMID: 21833638 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-011-2098-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2010] [Accepted: 07/13/2011] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
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46
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Crean AJ, Monro K, Marshall DJ. FITNESS CONSEQUENCES OF LARVAL TRAITS PERSIST ACROSS THE METAMORPHIC BOUNDARY. Evolution 2011; 65:3079-89. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1558-5646.2011.01372.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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47
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Jørgensen C, Auer SK, Reznick DN. A Model for Optimal Offspring Size in Fish, Including Live-Bearing and Parental Effects. Am Nat 2011; 177:E119-35. [DOI: 10.1086/659622] [Citation(s) in RCA: 68] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
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48
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Jacobs MW, Sherrard KM. Bigger is not always better: offspring size does not predict growth or survival for seven ascidian species. Ecology 2011; 91:3598-608. [PMID: 21302831 DOI: 10.1890/09-2072.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
The presumed trade-off between offspring size and quality predicted by life history theory is often invoked to explain the wide range of propagule sizes observed in animals and plants. This trade-off is broadly supported by intraspecific studies but has been difficult to test in an interspecific context, particularly in animals. We tested the fitness consequences of offspring size both intra- and interspecifically for seven species of ascidians (sessile, suspension-feeding, marine invertebrates) whose offspring volumes varied over three orders of magnitude. We measured two major components of fitness, juvenile growth rates and survival, in laboratory and field experiments encompassing several food conditions. Contrary to the predictions of life history theory, larger offspring size did not result in higher rates of growth or survival, and large offspring did not perform better under nutritional stress, either intraspecifically or interspecifically. In fact, two of the four species with small offspring grew rapidly enough to catch up in size to the species with large offspring in as little as eight weeks, under wild-type food conditions. Trade-offs between growth potential and defense may overwhelm and obscure any trade-offs between offspring size and survival or growth rate. While large initial size may still confer a competitive advantage, we failed to detect any consequences of interspecific variation in initial size. This implies that larger offspring in these species, far from being inherently superior in growth or survival, require compensation in other aspects of life history if reproductive effort is to be efficient. Our results suggest that the importance of initial offspring size is context dependent and often overestimated relative to other life history traits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Molly W Jacobs
- Department of Biology, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, Massachusetts 02543, USA.
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49
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Bownds C, Wilson R, Marshall DJ. Why do colder mothers produce larger eggs? An optimality approach. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2011; 213:3796-801. [PMID: 21037058 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.043356] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
One of the more common patterns of offspring size variation is that mothers tend to produce larger offspring at lower temperatures. Whether such variation is adaptive remains unclear. Determining whether optimal offspring size differs between thermal environments provides a direct way of assessing the adaptive significance of temperature-driven variation in egg size. Here, we examined the relationship between offspring size and performance at three temperatures for several important fitness components in the zebra fish, Danio rerio. The effects of egg size on performance were highly variable among life-history stages (i.e. pre- and post-hatching) and dependent on the thermal environment; offspring size positively affected performance at some temperatures but negatively affected performance at others. When we used these data to generate a simple optimality model, the model predicted that mothers should produce the largest size offspring at the lowest temperature, offspring of intermediate size at the highest temperature and the smallest offspring at the intermediate temperature. An experimental test of these predictions showed that the rank order of observed offspring sizes produced by mothers matched our predictions. Our results suggest that mothers adaptively manipulate the size of their offspring in response to thermally driven changes in offspring performance and highlight the utility of optimality approaches for understanding offspring size variation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Celeste Bownds
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
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50
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SMITH ANNAC, SHIMA JEFFREYS. Variation in the effects of larval history on juvenile performance of a temperate reef fish. AUSTRAL ECOL 2011. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1442-9993.2010.02223.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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