Reproductive constraints and the evolution of life histories with indeterminate growth

Authors

Eric CharnovFollow
Thomas Turner
Kirk Winemiller

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

7-31-2001

Abstract

This article develops a new evolutionary model for life histories by combining a new production-growth model with some general, yet specific, constraints on reproductive allocation, and by allowing natural selection to adjust the age of first breeding and the metabolic/productive capacity of cells. The optimal life histories correctly predict the numeric value of dimensionless numbers that combine maturation age (size), mortality, and reproductive allocation. The life-history prediction also yields a new lifetime growth model for body mass under indeterminate growth and predicts that the fastest growth rate will be near the size at first reproduction. Table 1 is a glossary of terms, whereas Appendix A is a brief overview of the optimization problem.

Publisher

National Academy of Sciences

Volume

98

First Page

9460

Last Page

9464

Language (ISO)

English

Keywords

dimensional analysis, fish, reptiles, ESS, ontogeny

Recommended Citation

Charnov, E.L., T.F. Turner and K.O. Winemiller. 2001. Reproductive constraints and the evolution of life histories with indeterminate growth. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA 98:9460-9464