Life span and reproductive cost explain interspecific variation in the optimal onset of reproduction

Emeline Mourocq; Pierre Bize; Sandra Bouwhuis; Russell Bradley; Anne Charmantier; Carlos de la Cruz; Szymon M. Drobniak; Richard H.M. Espie; Márton Herényi; Hermann Hötker; Oliver Krüger; John Marzluff; Anders P. Møller; Shinichi Nakagawa; Richard A. Phillips; Andrew N. Radford; Alexandre Roulin; János Török; Juliana Valencia; Martijn van de Pol; Ian G. Warkentin; Isabel S. Winney; Andrew G. Wood; Michael Griesser

doi:10.1111/evo.12853

Life span and reproductive cost explain interspecific variation in the optimal onset of reproduction

Emeline Mourocq, Pierre Bize, Sandra Bouwhuis, Russell Bradley, Anne Charmantier, Carlos de la Cruz, Szymon M. Drobniak, Richard H.M. Espie, Márton Herényi, Hermann Hötker, Oliver Krüger, John Marzluff, Anders P. Møller, Shinichi Nakagawa, Richard A. Phillips, Andrew N. Radford, Alexandre Roulin, János Török, Juliana Valencia, Martijn van de PolIan G. Warkentin, Isabel S. Winney, Andrew G. Wood, Michael Griesser

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

29 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

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 life span. 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 life span 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.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	296-313
Number of pages	18
Journal	Evolution
Volume	70
Issue number	2
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1111/evo.12853
Publication status	Published - 1 Feb 2016

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Mourocq, E., Bize, P., Bouwhuis, S., Bradley, R., Charmantier, A., de la Cruz, C., Drobniak, S. M., Espie, R. H. M., Herényi, M., Hötker, H., Krüger, O., Marzluff, J., Møller, A. P., Nakagawa, S., Phillips, R. A., Radford, A. N., Roulin, A., Török, J., Valencia, J., ... Griesser, M. (2016). Life span and reproductive cost explain interspecific variation in the optimal onset of reproduction. Evolution, 70(2), 296-313. https://doi.org/10.1111/evo.12853

@article{9ecc697b5c2d4ac99c85648d1f45dab5,

title = "Life span and reproductive cost explain interspecific variation in the optimal onset of reproduction",

abstract = "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 life span. 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 life span 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.",

keywords = "Age at first reproduction, Comparative method, Cost of reproduction, Family formation theory, Life-history theory",

author = "Emeline Mourocq and Pierre Bize and Sandra Bouwhuis and Russell Bradley and Anne Charmantier and {de la Cruz}, Carlos and Drobniak, {Szymon M.} and Espie, {Richard H.M.} and M{\'a}rton Her{\'e}nyi and Hermann H{\"o}tker and Oliver Kr{\"u}ger and John Marzluff and M{\o}ller, {Anders P.} and Shinichi Nakagawa and Phillips, {Richard A.} and Radford, {Andrew N.} and Alexandre Roulin and J{\'a}nos T{\"o}r{\"o}k and Juliana Valencia and {van de Pol}, Martijn and Warkentin, {Ian G.} and Winney, {Isabel S.} and Wood, {Andrew G.} and Michael Griesser",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2016, Society for the Study of Evolution.",

year = "2016",

month = feb,

day = "1",

doi = "10.1111/evo.12853",

language = "English",

volume = "70",

pages = "296--313",

journal = "Evolution",

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Mourocq, E, Bize, P, Bouwhuis, S, Bradley, R, Charmantier, A, de la Cruz, C, Drobniak, SM, Espie, RHM, Herényi, M, Hötker, H, Krüger, O, Marzluff, J, Møller, AP, Nakagawa, S, Phillips, RA, Radford, AN, Roulin, A, Török, J, Valencia, J, van de Pol, M, Warkentin, IG, Winney, IS, Wood, AG & Griesser, M 2016, 'Life span and reproductive cost explain interspecific variation in the optimal onset of reproduction', Evolution, vol. 70, no. 2, pp. 296-313. https://doi.org/10.1111/evo.12853

TY - JOUR

T1 - Life span and reproductive cost explain interspecific variation in the optimal onset of reproduction

AU - Mourocq, Emeline

AU - Bize, Pierre

AU - Bouwhuis, Sandra

AU - Bradley, Russell

AU - Charmantier, Anne

AU - de la Cruz, Carlos

AU - Drobniak, Szymon M.

AU - Espie, Richard H.M.

AU - Herényi, Márton

AU - Hötker, Hermann

AU - Krüger, Oliver

AU - Marzluff, John

AU - Møller, Anders P.

AU - Nakagawa, Shinichi

AU - Phillips, Richard A.

AU - Radford, Andrew N.

AU - Roulin, Alexandre

AU - Török, János

AU - Valencia, Juliana

AU - van de Pol, Martijn

AU - Warkentin, Ian G.

AU - Winney, Isabel S.

AU - Wood, Andrew G.

AU - Griesser, Michael

PY - 2016/2/1

Y1 - 2016/2/1

N2 - 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 life span. 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 life span 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.

AB - 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 life span. 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 life span 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.

KW - Age at first reproduction

KW - Comparative method

KW - Cost of reproduction

KW - Family formation theory

KW - Life-history theory

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84958175321&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1111/evo.12853

DO - 10.1111/evo.12853

M3 - Article

SN - 0014-3820

VL - 70

SP - 296

EP - 313

JO - Evolution

JF - Evolution

IS - 2

ER -

Life span and reproductive cost explain interspecific variation in the optimal onset of reproduction

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