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Published January 7, 2016 | Version v1
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Data from: Lifespan and reproductive cost explain interspecific variation in the optimal onset of reproduction

  • 1. University of Zurich
  • 2. University of Aberdeen
  • 3. Institute of Avian Research
  • 4. University of Lausanne
  • 5. Centre d'Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Evolutive
  • 6. University of Extremadura
  • 7. Natural Environment Research Council
  • 8. Eötvös Loránd University
  • 9. Memorial University of Newfoundland
  • 10. Bielefeld University
  • 11. University of Washington
  • 12. University of Paris-Sud
  • 13. University of New South Wales
  • 14. British Antarctic Survey
  • 15. University of Bristol
  • 16. University of Córdoba
  • 17. Australian National University
  • 18. University of Sheffield

Description

Fitness can be profoundly influenced by the age at first reproduction (AFR), but to date the AFR-fitness relationship only has been investigated intraspecifically. Here we investigated the relationship between AFR and average lifetime reproductive success (LRS) across 34 bird species. We assessed differences in the deviation of the Optimal AFR (i.e., the species-specific AFR associated with the highest LRS) from the age at sexual maturity, considering potential effects of life-history as well as social and ecological factors. Most individuals adopted the species-specific Optimal AFR and both the mean and Optimal AFR of species correlated positively with lifespan. Interspecific deviations of the Optimal AFR were associated with indices reflecting a change in LRS or survival as a function of AFR: a delayed AFR was beneficial in species where early AFR was associated with a decrease in subsequent survival or reproductive output. Overall, our results suggest that a delayed onset of reproduction beyond maturity is an optimal strategy explained by a long lifespan and costs of early reproduction. By providing the first empirical confirmations of key predictions of life-history theory across species, this study contributes to a better understanding of life-history evolution.

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Related works

Is cited by
10.1111/evo.12853 (DOI)