Parental Investment in Offspring in Variable Environments: Theoretical and Empirical Considerations

McGinley, Mark A.; Temme, David H.; Geber, Monica A.

doi:10.1086/284716

Cited by 492 publications

(439 citation statements)

References 152 publications

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“…In many taxa, egg size is strongly positively associated with offspring growth and survival in early life (McGinley et al, 1987;Fox and Czesak, 2000;Krist, 2011). Furthermore, many studies have shown egg size to be moderately to highly heritable (Christians, 2002;Fox and Czesak, 2000).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

In search of genetic constraints limiting the evolution of egg size: direct and correlated responses to artificial selection on a prenatal maternal effector

2016

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Maternal effects are an important force in nature, but the evolutionary dynamics of the traits that cause them are not well understood. Egg size is known to be a key mediator of prenatal maternal effects with an established genetic basis. In contrast to theoretical expectations for fitness-related traits, there is a large amount of additive genetic variation in egg size observed in natural populations. One possible mechanism for the maintenance of this variation is through genetic constraints caused by a shared genetic basis among traits. Here we created replicated, divergent selection lines for maternal egg investment in Japanese quail (Coturnix japonica) to quantify the role of genetic constraints in the evolution of egg size. We found that egg size responds rapidly to selection, accompanied by a strong response in all egg components. Initially, we observed a correlated response in body size, but this response declined over time, showing that egg size and body size can evolve independently. Furthermore, no correlated response in fecundity (measured as the proportion of days on which a female laid an egg) was observed. However, the response to selection was asymmetrical, with egg size plateauing after one generation of selection in the high but not the low investment lines. We attribute this pattern to the presence of genetic asymmetries, caused by directional dominance or unequal allele frequencies. Such asymmetries may contribute to the evolutionary stasis in egg size observed in natural populations, despite a positive association between egg size and fitness.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

In search of genetic constraints limiting the evolution of egg size: direct and correlated responses to artificial selection on a prenatal maternal effector

2016

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“…Cooper & Kaplan 1982;McGinley et al 1987;Forbes 1991;Einum & Fleming 2004, 2007 have reached somewhat conflicting conclusions on what the most adaptive strategy looks like. Cooper & Kaplan (1982) show how it can be adaptive for a specific individual experiencing a totally random and unpredictable environment to have variation in, for example, egg size between years.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Cooper & Kaplan (1982) show how it can be adaptive for a specific individual experiencing a totally random and unpredictable environment to have variation in, for example, egg size between years. McGinley et al (1987) and Einum & Fleming (2004) show how variation within a clutch can be an adaptive strategy, but only for annuals in a highly variable environment. The general conclusion from previous studies is, however, that selection will favour uniform clutches in most cases (McGinley et al 1987;Forbes 1991;Einum & Fleming 2004).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Bet-hedging as an evolutionary game: the trade-off between egg size and number

2009

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Bet-hedging theory addresses how individuals should optimize fitness in varying and unpredictable environments by sacrificing mean fitness to decrease variation in fitness. So far, three main bet-hedging strategies have been described: conservative bet-hedging (play it safe), diversified bet-hedging (don't put all eggs in one basket) and adaptive coin flipping (choose a strategy at random from a fixed distribution). Within this context, we analyse the trade-off between many small eggs (or seeds) and few large, given an unpredictable environment. Our model is an extension of previous models and allows for any combination of the bet-hedging strategies mentioned above. In our individual-based model (accounting for both ecological and evolutionary forces), the optimal bet-hedging strategy is a combination of conservative and diversified bet-hedging and adaptive coin flipping, which means a variation in egg size both within clutches and between years. Hence, we show how phenotypic variation within a population, often assumed to be due to non-adaptive variation, instead can be the result of females having this mixed strategy. Our results provide a new perspective on bet-hedging and stress the importance of extreme events in life history evolution.

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“…An individual's phenotype is influenced by its own genotype and by the environment that it experiences itself, as well as by the genotype and environmental experience of other individuals, especially its mother (Mousseau and Fox 1998). The level of maternal investment can profoundly influence the development of embryos and the phenotypes and survival of the hatchlings, especially in animals that do not practice parental care (Fleming and Gross 1990;Sinervo and Doughty 1996;Fox et al 1997, Einum andFleming 1999), and the evolutionary fitness of both offspring and parents (Smith and Fretwell 1974;McGinley et al 1987;Fox et al 1997). …”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Maternal effects on phenotypic plasticity in larvae of the salamander Hynobius retardatus

et al. 2009

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Maternal effects are widespread and influence a variety of traits, for example, life history strategies, mate choice and capacity to avoid predation. Therefore, maternal effects may also influence phenotypic plasticity of offspring, but few studies have addressed the relationship between maternal effects and phenotypic plasticity of offspring. We examined the relationship between a maternally influenced trait (egg size) and the phenotypic plasticity of the induction rate of the broad-headed morph in the salamander Hynobius retardatus. The relationship between egg size and the induction of the broad-headed morph was tested across experimental crowding conditions (densities of low conspecifics, high conspecifics, and high heterospecific anuran), using eggs and larvae from eight natural populations with different larval densities of conspecifics and heterospecifics. The broad-headed morph has a large mouth that enables it to consume either conspecifics or heterospecifics, and this ability gives survival advantages over the normal morph. We have determined that there is phenotypic plasticity in development, as shown by an increase in the frequency of broad-headed morph in response to an increase in the density of conspecifics and heterospecifics. This reaction norm differed between populations. We also determined that the frequency of the broad-headed morph is affected by egg size in which larger egg size resulted in expression of the broad-headed morph. Furthermore, we determined that selection acting on the propensity to develop the broad-headed morph has produced a change in egg size. Lastly, we found that an increase in egg size alters the reaction norm to favor development of the broad-headed morph. For example, an equal change in experimental density produces a greater change in the frequency of the broad-headed morph in larvae developing from large eggs than it does in larvae developing from small eggs. Population differences in plasticity might be the results of differences in egg 3 size between populations, which is caused by the adaptive integration of the plasticity and egg size. Phenotypic plasticity can not evolve independently of maternal effects.

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Parental Investment in Offspring in Variable Environments: Theoretical and Empirical Considerations

Cited by 492 publications

References 152 publications

In search of genetic constraints limiting the evolution of egg size: direct and correlated responses to artificial selection on a prenatal maternal effector

In search of genetic constraints limiting the evolution of egg size: direct and correlated responses to artificial selection on a prenatal maternal effector

Bet-hedging as an evolutionary game: the trade-off between egg size and number

Maternal effects on phenotypic plasticity in larvae of the salamander Hynobius retardatus

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