Measuring fitness and inferring natural selection from long-term field studies: different measures lead to nuanced conclusions

Viblanc, Vincent A.; Saraux, Claire; Tamian, Anouch; Criscuolo, François; Coltman, David W.; Raveh, Shirley; Murie, Jan O.; Dobson, F. Stephen

doi:10.1007/s00265-022-03176-8

Cited by 12 publications

(18 citation statements)

References 74 publications

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“…Considering the importance of individual fitness in evolutionary studies, several recent studies on short‐lived vertebrate species have assessed how different fitness proxies compare with one another (Alif et al, 2022 ; Viblanc et al, 2022 ). However, estimating fitness over an individual's lifetime and over more than one generation is much more challenging in long‐lived species.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Different proxies, different stories? Imperfect correlations and different determinants of fitness in bighorn sheep

Walle

Larue

Pigeon

et al. 2022

Ecology and Evolution

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Measuring individual fitness empirically is required to assess selective pressures and predicts evolutionary changes in nature. There is, however, little consensus on how fitness should be empirically estimated. As fitness proxies vary in their underlying assumptions, their relative sensitivity to individual, environmental, and demographic factors may also vary. Here, using a long‐term study, we aimed at identifying the determinants of individual fitness in bighorn sheep ( Ovis canadensis ) using seven fitness proxies. Specifically, we compared four‐lifetime fitness proxies: lifetime breeding success, lifetime reproductive success, individual growth rate, individual contribution to population growth, and three multi‐generational proxies: number of granddaughters, individual descendance in the next generation, and relative genetic contribution to the next generation. We found that all proxies were positively correlated, but the magnitude of the correlations varied substantially. Longevity was the main determinant of most fitness proxies. Individual fitness calculated over more than one generation was also affected by population density and growth rate. Because they are affected by contrasting factors, our study suggests that different fitness proxies should not be used interchangeably as they may convey different information about selective pressures and lead to divergent evolutionary predictions. Uncovering the mechanisms underlying variation in individual fitness and improving our ability to predict evolutionary change might require the use of several, rather than one, the proxy of individual fitness.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Different proxies, different stories? Imperfect correlations and different determinants of fitness in bighorn sheep

Walle

Larue

Pigeon

et al. 2022

Ecology and Evolution

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“…The timing of dispersal decisions for white-faced capuchins (Wikberg et al 2022) and spotted hyenas (Curren et al 2022) had considerable impact on male breeding success. Viblanc et al (2022) find that the apparently beneficial effects of early emergence from hibernation in ground squirrels weaken as one measures reproductive success in ages closer to first reproduction.…”

Section: Introduction To Topical Collection "Measuring Individual Rep...mentioning

confidence: 84%

“…For most species, male reproductive success is less wellquantified than female reproductive success, due to considerable challenges identified in this collection (Curren et al 2022;Foroughirad et al 2022;Montana et al 2022;Viblanc et al 2022). There are some exceptions, such as primate groups where extra-group paternities are rare or absent (Wikberg et al 2022).…”

Section: Introduction To Topical Collection "Measuring Individual Rep...mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This Topical Collection tackles the problem of measuring individual reproductive success in the wild, which is often the best approximation of fitness. However, as discussed by Viblanc et al (2022), how and when reproductive success is measured can lead to different conclusions about the impacts of putative selective pressures. Fortunately, our ability to measure individual reproductive success in the wild has increased substantially in the past few decades, thanks mostly to long-term studies of marked individuals (Clutton-Brock and Sheldon 2010) and new molecular techniques that reveal genetic relationships between parents and offspring.…”

Section: Introduction To Topical Collection "Measuring Individual Rep...mentioning

confidence: 99%

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Introduction to topical collection “Measuring individual reproductive success in the wild”

Festa‐Bianchet

Mann

2022

Behav Ecol Sociobiol

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“…Measuring family-specific fitness is notoriously difficult but relevant for applied and basic science (Carlson and Seamons, 2008; Viblanc et al, 2022). Laboratory studies usually focus on embryo growth and survival under stress- and non-stress conditions, typically assuming that these are components of fitness that have sufficient ecological relevance.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Growth of brown trout in the wild predicted by embryo stress reaction in the laboratory

Bylemans

Cunha

Wilkins

et al. 2022

Preprint

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Laboratory studies on embryos of salmonids, such as the brown trout (Salmo trutta), have been used extensively to study factors influencing offspring performance. These studies are based on the implicit assumption that early life-history traits are relevant for growth and survival in the wild. Here we tested this assumption. We used gametes of wild-caught brown trout to perform a block-wise full-factorial breeding experiment, with some of the resulting offspring we carried out controlled laboratory experiments, and released the remaining offspring into a natural streamlet. We recaptured 0+ juveniles after their first summer in the wild and used microsatellite and sex-linked markers to determine sex-specific growth and survival for each of the 60 experimental families. We also recorded mean egg size and carotenoid content per female to evaluate their importance for juvenile growth and survival. We found strong correlations between laboratory performance and growth, but not survival, of 0+ juveniles in the wild. Egg size positively influenced juvenile growth. We also found that male juveniles grew faster than females. Juvenile survival seemed not influenced by egg size, but we observed a significant male-biased survival for eggs with a high zeaxanthin content (a carotenoid). This first observation suggests that female reproductive strategies can have sex-specific effects that need to be better understood. We conclude that embryo performance in controlled environments (laboratory or hatchery) can be useful predictors of offspring growth in a natural setting.

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Measuring fitness and inferring natural selection from long-term field studies: different measures lead to nuanced conclusions

Cited by 12 publications

References 74 publications

Different proxies, different stories? Imperfect correlations and different determinants of fitness in bighorn sheep

Different proxies, different stories? Imperfect correlations and different determinants of fitness in bighorn sheep

Introduction to topical collection “Measuring individual reproductive success in the wild”

Growth of brown trout in the wild predicted by embryo stress reaction in the laboratory

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