Natural selection and the evolution of growth rate in the early life history: what are the trade-offs?

1997 ◽  
pp. 305-332 ◽  
Author(s):  
David O. Conover ◽  
Eric T. Schultz
Keyword(s):  
Growth Rate ◽  
Life History ◽  
Natural Selection ◽  
Early Life ◽  
Early Life History ◽  
Trade Offs

scholarly journals There and back again: Spatial and temporal variation in the recruitment dynamics of an amphidromous fish

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Conor Stewart Bruce Neilson
Keyword(s):  
Growth Rate ◽  
Life History ◽  
Phenotypic Variation ◽  
Early Life ◽  
Life Histories ◽  
Life History Traits ◽  
Early Life History ◽  
Phenotypic Traits ◽  
Life Stages ◽  
Larval Quality

<p>A primary goal of ecology is to identify the factors underlying recruitment variability, and how they may shape population dynamics. Recruitment is driven by the input of new individuals into a population. However, these individuals often show high diversity in phenotypic traits and life histories, and the consequences of this variation are poorly understood. Phenotypic variation is widespread among the early life stages of fish, and this variation may be influenced by events occurring across multiple life stages. While many studies have investigated phenotypic variation and its effect on population dynamics, comparatively few studies use an integrated approach that evaluates patterns and processes across multiple life history stages. Here I focus on a native amphidromous fish, Galaxias maculatus, and I explore patterns and consequences of phenotypic variation during larval stages, migratory stages, and post-settlement stages of this fish.  I explore variability in phenotypes and early life history traits of G. maculatus through both space and time. I use metrics derived from body size and otolith-based demographic reconstructions to quantify potentially important early life history traits. I found that cohorts of juvenile fish sampled later in the year were comprised of individuals that were older, smaller, and grew more slowly relative to fish sampled earlier in the year. I also found that two sampled sites (the Hutt River and the Wainuiomata River) showed different temporal trends, despite their close geographical proximity.  I then investigated whether phenotype was related to mortality. I used otolith-based traits to characterise larval ‘quality’ for individual fish. I then calculated the average larval quality for discrete cohorts of fish, and used catch-curve analysis to estimate mortality rates for these cohorts. I investigated the overall relationship between quality and mortality, and compared the trend between two sites. My results indicate that phenotype and mortality were not significantly correlated. However, this inference may be limited by low statistical power; the non-significant trends suggest that the relationship might be negative (i.e., larvae of higher quality tend to have lower rates of mortality). This trend is typical of systems where population expansion is limited by food rather than predators.  I then investigated whether phenotypic traits in the juvenile cohorts were correlated with traits in adult cohorts. I resampled the focal populations ~6 months after sampling the juvenile stages (i.e., targeting fish from sampled cohorts that had survived to adulthood), and I used data from otoliths to reconstruct life history traits (hatch dates and growth histories). I compared adult life history traits to the traits of discrete juvenile cohorts.  My results suggest that fish that survived to adulthood had comparatively slower growth rates (reconstructed for a period of larval/juvenile growth) relative to the sampled juvenile cohorts (where growth rate was estimated for the same period in their life history). I also found that the distributions of hatch dates varied between sites. Fish that survived to adulthood at one site hatched later in the breeding season, while adult stages from the other site had hatch dates that were distributed across the entire breeding season. Both hatch date and growth rate are likely linked to fitness, and their interaction may have influenced patterns of survival to adulthood. These results provide evidence for carry-over effects of larval phenotype on juvenile success  Collectively my thesis emphasises the importance of phenotype and life history variability in studies of recruitment. It also highlights the importance of spatial scale, and how biological patterns may differ between geographically close systems. Some of the general inferences from my study may extend to other migratory Galaxiid species, and perhaps more generally, to many species with extensive larval dispersal. Finally, my work highlights potentially important interactions between phenotypes, life histories, and mortality, which can ultimately shape recruitment, and the dynamics of populations.</p>

Early life history traits and geographical distribution ofParachaenichthys charcoti

2017 ◽  
Vol 29 (5) ◽  
pp. 410-416 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mario La Mesa ◽  
Emilio Riginella ◽  
Christopher D. Jones
Keyword(s):  
Growth Rate ◽  
Life History ◽  
Geographical Distribution ◽  
Early Life ◽  
Life History Traits ◽  
Early Life History ◽  
South Shetland Islands ◽  
Large Spatial Scale ◽  
South Georgia ◽  
Larvae And Juveniles

AbstractThe geographical distribution of the two species of the genusParachaenichthysis allopatric and restricted to the inner shelves of South Georgia–South Sandwich Islands (P. georgianus) and South Orkney Islands–South Shetland Islands (P. charcoti). To evaluate the consistency between the geographical patterns of adult distribution and early life history traits ofP. charcoti, sagittal otoliths were used to estimate growth rate and pelagic duration in larvae and juveniles of this species collected in the Bransfield Strait in winter and summer, respectively. Individual age was determined through microincrement counts, assuming they were daily increments. The Gompertz model was fitted to age–length estimates, providing a mean growth rate of 0.22 mm day-1estimated for 28–204-day-old individuals. Larval hatching was spread over a relatively wide period, lasting from July throughout September. The pelagic larval duration ofP. charcotiwas about six months based on ageing data of larvae and juveniles, as reported forP. georgianusfrom South Georgia. The strong dependence of larvae on the inshore habitat may hamper their dispersal at large spatial scale limiting the connectivity among distant populations, providing clues to interpret the present geographical distribution of the two species.

scholarly journals There and back again: Spatial and temporal variation in the recruitment dynamics of an amphidromous fish

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Conor Stewart Bruce Neilson
Keyword(s):  
Growth Rate ◽  
Life History ◽  
Phenotypic Variation ◽  
Early Life ◽  
Life Histories ◽  
Life History Traits ◽  
Early Life History ◽  
Phenotypic Traits ◽  
Life Stages ◽  
Larval Quality

<p>A primary goal of ecology is to identify the factors underlying recruitment variability, and how they may shape population dynamics. Recruitment is driven by the input of new individuals into a population. However, these individuals often show high diversity in phenotypic traits and life histories, and the consequences of this variation are poorly understood. Phenotypic variation is widespread among the early life stages of fish, and this variation may be influenced by events occurring across multiple life stages. While many studies have investigated phenotypic variation and its effect on population dynamics, comparatively few studies use an integrated approach that evaluates patterns and processes across multiple life history stages. Here I focus on a native amphidromous fish, Galaxias maculatus, and I explore patterns and consequences of phenotypic variation during larval stages, migratory stages, and post-settlement stages of this fish.  I explore variability in phenotypes and early life history traits of G. maculatus through both space and time. I use metrics derived from body size and otolith-based demographic reconstructions to quantify potentially important early life history traits. I found that cohorts of juvenile fish sampled later in the year were comprised of individuals that were older, smaller, and grew more slowly relative to fish sampled earlier in the year. I also found that two sampled sites (the Hutt River and the Wainuiomata River) showed different temporal trends, despite their close geographical proximity.  I then investigated whether phenotype was related to mortality. I used otolith-based traits to characterise larval ‘quality’ for individual fish. I then calculated the average larval quality for discrete cohorts of fish, and used catch-curve analysis to estimate mortality rates for these cohorts. I investigated the overall relationship between quality and mortality, and compared the trend between two sites. My results indicate that phenotype and mortality were not significantly correlated. However, this inference may be limited by low statistical power; the non-significant trends suggest that the relationship might be negative (i.e., larvae of higher quality tend to have lower rates of mortality). This trend is typical of systems where population expansion is limited by food rather than predators.  I then investigated whether phenotypic traits in the juvenile cohorts were correlated with traits in adult cohorts. I resampled the focal populations ~6 months after sampling the juvenile stages (i.e., targeting fish from sampled cohorts that had survived to adulthood), and I used data from otoliths to reconstruct life history traits (hatch dates and growth histories). I compared adult life history traits to the traits of discrete juvenile cohorts.  My results suggest that fish that survived to adulthood had comparatively slower growth rates (reconstructed for a period of larval/juvenile growth) relative to the sampled juvenile cohorts (where growth rate was estimated for the same period in their life history). I also found that the distributions of hatch dates varied between sites. Fish that survived to adulthood at one site hatched later in the breeding season, while adult stages from the other site had hatch dates that were distributed across the entire breeding season. Both hatch date and growth rate are likely linked to fitness, and their interaction may have influenced patterns of survival to adulthood. These results provide evidence for carry-over effects of larval phenotype on juvenile success  Collectively my thesis emphasises the importance of phenotype and life history variability in studies of recruitment. It also highlights the importance of spatial scale, and how biological patterns may differ between geographically close systems. Some of the general inferences from my study may extend to other migratory Galaxiid species, and perhaps more generally, to many species with extensive larval dispersal. Finally, my work highlights potentially important interactions between phenotypes, life histories, and mortality, which can ultimately shape recruitment, and the dynamics of populations.</p>

A new conceptual framework for evaluating the early ontogeny phase of recruitment processes among marine fish species

2012 ◽  
Vol 69 (12) ◽  
pp. 2112-2129 ◽  
Author(s):  
Miriam J. Doyle ◽  
Kathryn L. Mier
Keyword(s):  
Life History ◽  
Conceptual Framework ◽  
Early Life ◽  
Life Histories ◽  
Environmental Variability ◽  
Principal Component ◽  
Early Life History ◽  
Environmental Forcing ◽  
Ongoing Research ◽  
Trade Offs

For Gulf of Alaska (GOA) fish populations, ordination by principal component analysis of a matrix of species by early life history and ecological traits resulted in distribution of species along three primary gradients. These are synonymous with phenology of egg and larval production, quantity of production, and ubiquity of larvae, the latter representing temporal and spatial extent of distribution in the pelagic environment. GOA species were assigned to categories that shared similar positions in ordination space relative to the three primary gradients. From this comparative analysis, a conceptual framework is proposed for species’ early life histories representing trade-offs in adaptation to prevailing environmental conditions and associated vulnerability and resilience factors that may modulate species’ recruitment responses to environmental variability. The utility of this framework for evaluating response to environmental forcing was supported by the analysis of a 27-year time series of GOA late spring larval fish abundance. The hypothesis for this ongoing research is that we can utilize similarities in reproductive and early life history characteristics among species to identify (i) ecologically determined species groups that are predisposed to respond to environmental forcing in similar ways and (ii) plausible environmental predictors of recruitment variation attributable to aspects of early life history.

scholarly journals Effects of Stochasticity in Early Life History on Steepness and Population Growth Rate Estimates: An Illustration on Atlantic Bluefin Tuna

PLoS ONE ◽  
2012 ◽  
Vol 7 (10) ◽  
pp. e48583 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maximilien Simon ◽  
Jean-Marc Fromentin ◽  
Sylvain Bonhommeau ◽  
Daniel Gaertner ◽  
Jon Brodziak ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Growth Rate ◽  
Life History ◽  
Population Growth ◽  
Early Life ◽  
Population Growth Rate ◽  
Early Life History ◽  
Bluefin Tuna ◽  
Atlantic Bluefin Tuna

scholarly journals Interfamily variation in amphibian early life-history traits: raw material for natural selection?

2012 ◽  
Vol 2 (7) ◽  
pp. 1637-1643 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gareth R. Hopkins ◽  
Brian G. Gall ◽  
Susannah S. French ◽  
Edmund D. Brodie
Keyword(s):  
Life History ◽  
Natural Selection ◽  
Early Life ◽  
Life History Traits ◽  
Early Life History ◽  
Raw Material

Prey tell: what quillback rockfish early life history traits reveal about their survival in encounters with juvenile coho salmon

2020 ◽  
Vol 650 ◽  
pp. 7-18 ◽  
Author(s):  
HW Fennie ◽  
S Sponaugle ◽  
EA Daly ◽  
RD Brodeur
Keyword(s):  
Life History ◽  
Early Life ◽  
Life History Traits ◽  
Direct Evidence ◽  
Coho Salmon ◽  
Larval Fish ◽  
Early Life History ◽  
In The Wild ◽  
Otolith Microstructure Analysis ◽  
Pelagic Juvenile

Predation is a major source of mortality in the early life stages of fishes and a driving force in shaping fish populations. Theoretical, modeling, and laboratory studies have generated hypotheses that larval fish size, age, growth rate, and development rate affect their susceptibility to predation. Empirical data on predator selection in the wild are challenging to obtain, and most selective mortality studies must repeatedly sample populations of survivors to indirectly examine survivorship. While valuable on a population scale, these approaches can obscure selection by particular predators. In May 2018, along the coast of Washington, USA, we simultaneously collected juvenile quillback rockfish Sebastes maliger from both the environment and the stomachs of juvenile coho salmon Oncorhynchus kisutch. We used otolith microstructure analysis to examine whether juvenile coho salmon were age-, size-, and/or growth-selective predators of juvenile quillback rockfish. Our results indicate that juvenile rockfish consumed by salmon were significantly smaller, slower growing at capture, and younger than surviving (unconsumed) juvenile rockfish, providing direct evidence that juvenile coho salmon are selective predators on juvenile quillback rockfish. These differences in early life history traits between consumed and surviving rockfish are related to timing of parturition and the environmental conditions larval rockfish experienced, suggesting that maternal effects may substantially influence survival at this stage. Our results demonstrate that variability in timing of parturition and sea surface temperature leads to tradeoffs in early life history traits between growth in the larval stage and survival when encountering predators in the pelagic juvenile stage.

Temporal Tracking of Mineralization and Transcriptional Events Associated with Shell Formation During the Early Life History of Pearl Oyster Pinctada maxima

2015 ◽  
Vol 4 (3) ◽  
pp. 261-274
Author(s):  
Luke D. Gardner ◽  
Scott F. Cummins ◽  
David Mills ◽  
David Leavesley ◽  
Abigail Elizur
Keyword(s):  
Life History ◽  
Early Life ◽  
Early Life History ◽  
Pearl Oyster ◽  
Shell Formation ◽  
Temporal Tracking ◽  
History Of ◽  
Pinctada Maxima
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