scholarly journals Faster reproductive rates trade off against offspring growth in wild chimpanzees

2016 ◽  
Vol 113 (28) ◽  
pp. 7780-7785 ◽  
Author(s):  
Melissa Emery Thompson ◽  
Martin N. Muller ◽  
Kris Sabbi ◽  
Zarin P. Machanda ◽  
Emily Otali ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Life History Theory ◽  
Reproductive Rate ◽  
Offspring Quality ◽  
Creatinine Excretion ◽  
Trade Off ◽  
Older Mothers ◽  
Trade Offs ◽  
Offspring Growth ◽  
Reproductive Rates ◽  
Do So

Life history theory predicts a trade-off between offspring quality and quantity. Among large-bodied mammals, prolonged lactation and infant dependence suggest particularly strong potential for a quality–quantity trade-off to exist. Humans are one of the only such species to have been examined, providing mixed evidence under a peculiar set of circumstances, including extensive nutritional provisioning by nonmothers and extrasomatic wealth transmission. Here, we examine trade-offs between reproductive rate and one aspect of offspring quality (body size) in wild chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes schweinfurthii), a species with long periods of infant dependence and little direct provisioning. Juvenile lean body mass, estimated using urinary creatinine excretion, was positively associated with the interval to the next sibling’s birth. These effects persisted into adolescence and were not moderated by maternal identity. Maternal depletion could not explain poor offspring growth, as older mothers had larger offspring, and low maternal energy balance during lactation predicted larger, not smaller, juvenile size. Instead, our data suggest that offspring growth suffers when mothers wean early to invest in new reproductive efforts. These findings indicate that chimpanzee mothers with the resources to do so prioritize production of new offspring over prolonged investment in current offspring.

scholarly journals Trade-off between age of first reproduction and survival in a female primate

2009 ◽  
Vol 5 (3) ◽  
pp. 339-342 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gregory E. Blomquist
Keyword(s):  
Life History ◽  
Life History Theory ◽  
Rhesus Macaques ◽  
Human Study ◽  
Genetic Correlations ◽  
Adult Survival ◽  
Trade Off ◽  
Trade Offs ◽  
Female Life History ◽  
First Reproduction

Trade-offs are central to life-history theory but difficult to document. Patterns of phenotypic and genetic correlations in rhesus macaques, Macaca mulatta —a long-lived, slow-reproducing primate—are used to test for a trade-off between female age of first reproduction and adult survival. A strong positive genetic correlation indicates that female macaques suffer reduced adult survival when they mature relatively early and implies primate senescence can be explained, in part, by antagonistic pleiotropy. Contrasts with a similar human study implicate the extension of parental effects to later ages as a potential mechanism for circumventing female life-history trade-offs in human evolution.

Covid-19: A Trade-off between Political Economy and Ethics

2021 ◽  
Vol 0 (0) ◽  
Author(s):  
Henrique Schneider
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Political Economy ◽  
Scientific Evidence ◽  
Academic Research ◽  
Policy Measure ◽  
Trade Off ◽  
Ethical Trade ◽  
Trade Offs ◽  
Do So

Abstract This paper investigates the trade-off between economics and ethics applying them to “lockdowns” as a policy measure to counter the Covid-19-pandemic. This is an academic research on the nature and mechanism of trade-offs in so far as they apply to decision making. In the course of the line of inquiry pursued here, several different ways of trading off are assessed. In applying them to the pandemics, each yield a different answer to the adequacy of lockdowns as measures against the pandemic. The economic trade-off found “optimalcy” conditions, the utilitarian-ethical trade-off failed to do so revealing that there is a problem using “scientific evidence” as basis for such a trade-off. The value-ethical trade-off found out that lockdowns do not pass the test of proportionality within the usual constitutional framework.

scholarly journals Anomalous invasion dynamics due to dispersal polymorphism and dispersal-reproduction trade-offs

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vincent A. Keenan ◽  
Stephen J. Cornell
Keyword(s):  
Life History Theory ◽  
Invasion Speed ◽  
Complex Behaviour ◽  
Trade Off ◽  
Invasion Dynamics ◽  
Population Growth Rates ◽  
Trade Offs ◽  
Invasion Fronts ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Dispersal Polymorphism

AbstractDispersal polymorphism and mutation play significant roles during biological invasions, potentially leading to evolution and complex behaviour such as accelerating or decelerating invasion fronts. However, life history theory predicts that reproductive fitness — another key determinant of invasion dynamics – may be lower for more dispersive strains. Here, we use a mathematical model to show that unexpected invasion dynamics emerge from the combination of heritable dispersal polymorphism, dispersal-fitness trade-offs, and mutation between strains. We show that the invasion dynamics are determined by the trade-off relationship between dispersal and population growth rates of the constituent strains. We find that invasion dynamics can be “anomalous” (i.e. faster than any of the strains in isolation), but that the ultimate invasion speed is determined by the traits of at most two strains. The model is simple but generic, so we expect the predictions to apply to a wide range of ecological, evolutionary or epidemiological invasions.

Variation in the reproductive rate of bats

2004 ◽  
Vol 82 (5) ◽  
pp. 688-693 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert M.R Barclay ◽  
Joel Ulmer ◽  
Cameron J.A MacKenzie ◽  
Megan S Thompson ◽  
Leif Olson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Life History ◽  
Life Histories ◽  
Life History Theory ◽  
Life History Traits ◽  
Prey Availability ◽  
Weather Conditions ◽  
Reproductive Rate ◽  
Tropical Species ◽  
Allocation Of Resources ◽  
Reproductive Rates

In many respects, bats have relatively slow life histories. However, the reproductive rate of bats (i.e., the proportion of females that reproduce in any breeding season) has not been critically examined. We compiled data on the reproductive rates of bats to test predictions based on life-history theory. Among 257 samples from 103 species, reproductive rate varied considerably and was typically under 100%. Temperate-zone species had significantly lower and more variable reproductive rates than did tropical species. Reproductive rate also varied among families, with species in the Vespertilionidae having particularly high rates. As predicted based on life-history theory, reproductive rate was negatively correlated with longevity, and among vespertilionids, species with larger litters had higher reproductive rates. Thus, the data suggest that bats have relatively slow reproductive rates and, as in other life-history traits, fall at the "slow" end of the fast–slow life-history continuum found among mammals. Female bats, especially those in temperate regions, appear to adjust their allocation of resources to reproduction, and at times forego reproduction, perhaps in relation to their body condition, prey availability, and weather conditions.

Host reproductive status and reproductive performance of a parasite: offspring quality and trade-offs in a flea parasitic on a rodent

Parasitology ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 141 (7) ◽  
pp. 914-924 ◽  
Author(s):  
ELIZABETH M. DLUGOSZ ◽  
CYNTHIA J. DOWNS ◽  
IRINA S. KHOKHLOVA ◽  
A. ALLAN DEGEN ◽  
BORIS R. KRASNOV
Keyword(s):  
Development Time ◽  
Female Offspring ◽  
Male Offspring ◽  
Reproductive Status ◽  
Quality Trait ◽  
Offspring Quality ◽  
Trade Off ◽  
Trade Offs ◽  
Emergence Success

SUMMARYWe investigated offspring quality in fleas (Xenopsylla ramesis) feeding on non-reproducing, pregnant or lactating rodents (Meriones crassus) and asked whether (a) quality of flea offspring differs dependent on host reproductive status; (b) fleas trade off offspring quantity for quality; and (c) quality variables are inter-correlated. Emergence success was highest when parents exploited pregnant hosts, while development time was longest when parents exploited lactating hosts. Male offspring from fleas fed on non-reproductive and pregnant hosts were larger than those from lactating hosts whereas female offspring from fleas fed on pregnant hosts were larger than those from both lactating and non-reproductive hosts. Male offspring survived under starvation the longest when their parents exploited lactating hosts and the shortest when their parents exploited pregnant hosts. Female offspring of parents that exploited lactating hosts survived under starvation longer than those that exploited non-reproductive and pregnant hosts. Emergence success and development time decreased as mean number of eggs laid by mothers increased. Fleas that were larger and took longer to develop lived significantly longer under starvation. These results indicate the presence of a trade-off between offspring quantity and quality in fleas exploiting female Sundevall's jird in varying reproductive condition but this trade-off depended on the quality trait considered.

scholarly journals Anomalous invasion dynamics due to dispersal polymorphism and dispersal–reproduction trade-offs

2021 ◽  
Vol 288 (1942) ◽  
pp. 20202825
Author(s):  
Vincent A. Keenan ◽  
Stephen J. Cornell
Keyword(s):  
Life History Theory ◽  
Invasion Speed ◽  
Complex Behaviour ◽  
Trade Off ◽  
Invasion Dynamics ◽  
Population Growth Rates ◽  
Trade Offs ◽  
Invasion Fronts ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Dispersal Polymorphism

Dispersal polymorphism and mutation play significant roles during biological invasions, potentially leading to evolution and complex behaviour such as accelerating or decelerating invasion fronts. However, life-history theory predicts that reproductive fitness—another key determinant of invasion dynamics—may be lower for more dispersive strains. Here, we use a mathematical model to show that unexpected invasion dynamics emerge from the combination of heritable dispersal polymorphism, dispersal-fitness trade-offs, and mutation between strains. We show that the invasion dynamics are determined by the trade-off relationship between dispersal and population growth rates of the constituent strains. We find that invasion dynamics can be ‘anomalous’ (i.e. faster than any of the strains in isolation), but that the ultimate invasion speed is determined by the traits of, at most, two strains. The model is simple but generic, so we expect the predictions to apply to a wide range of ecological, evolutionary, or epidemiological invasions.

scholarly journals Investigating a trade-off between the quality of nest grown feathers and pace of development in an altricial bird.

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Conor C Taff ◽  
Brianna A Johnson ◽  
Allison T Anker ◽  
Alyssa M Rodriguez ◽  
Jennifer L Houtz ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Life History Theory ◽  
Developmental Rate ◽  
Trade Off ◽  
Trade Offs ◽  
Risk Of Predation ◽  
Provisioning Rate ◽  
Negative Trait ◽  
Specific Trait ◽  
Specific Association ◽  
Trait Associations

Life history theory provides a framework for understanding how trade-offs generate negative trait associations. Among nestling birds, developmental rate, risk of predation, and lifespan covary, but some associations are only found within species while others are only observed between species. A recent comparative study suggests that allocation trade-offs may be alleviated by disinvestment in ephemeral traits, such as nest-grown feathers, that are quickly replaced. However, direct resource allocation trade-offs cannot be inferred from inter-specific trait-associations without complementary intra-specific studies. Here, we asked whether there is evidence for a within-species allocation trade-off between feather quality and developmental speed in tree swallows (Tachycineta bicolor). Consistent with the idea that ephemeral traits are deprioritized, nest-grown feathers had lower barb density than adult feathers. However, despite substantial variation in fledging age among nestlings, there was no evidence for a negative association between developmental pace and feather quality. Furthermore, accounting for differences in resource availability by considering provisioning rate and a nest predation treatment did not reveal a trade-off that was masked by variation in resources. Our results are most consistent with the idea that the inter-specific association between development and feather quality arises from adaptive specialization, rather than from a direct allocation trade-off.

scholarly journals Reproductive costs in terrestrial male vertebrates: insights from bird studies

2016 ◽  
Vol 283 (1823) ◽  
pp. 20152600 ◽  
Author(s):  
Josefa Bleu ◽  
Marlène Gamelon ◽  
Bernt-Erik Sæther
Keyword(s):  
Paternal Care ◽  
Reproductive Costs ◽  
Early Maturity ◽  
High Fecundity ◽  
Trade Off ◽  
Short Lifespan ◽  
Pace Of Life ◽  
Trade Offs ◽  
Do So

Reproduction requires resources that cannot be allocated to other functions resulting in direct reproductive costs (i.e. trade-offs between current reproduction and subsequent survival/reproduction). In wild vertebrates, direct reproductive costs have been widely described in females, but their occurrence in males remains to be explored. To fill this gap, we gathered 53 studies on 48 species testing direct reproductive costs in male vertebrates. We found a trade-off between current reproduction and subsequent performances in 29% of the species and in every clade. As 73% of the studied species are birds, we focused on that clade to investigate whether such trade-offs are associated with (i) levels of paternal care, (ii) polygyny or (iii) pace of life. More precisely for this third question, it is expected that fast species (i.e. short lifespan, early maturity, high fecundity) pay a cost in terms of survival, whereas slow species (with opposite characteristics) do so in terms of fecundity. Our findings tend to support this hypothesis. Finally, we pointed out the potential confounding effects that should be accounted for when investigating reproductive costs in males and strongly encourage the investigation of such costs in more clades to understand to what extent our results are relevant for other vertebrates.

Dual Goals for Speed and Accuracy on the Same Performance Task

2012 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 118-126 ◽  
Author(s):  
Olive Emil Wetter ◽  
Jürgen Wegge ◽  
Klaus Jonas ◽  
Klaus-Helmut Schmidt
Keyword(s):  
Memory Scanning ◽  
Performance Task ◽  
Performance Tasks ◽  
Trade Off ◽  
Test Experiment ◽  
Trade Offs ◽  
New Finding ◽  
Sternberg Paradigm ◽  
Speed Accuracy ◽  
Speed And Accuracy

In most work contexts, several performance goals coexist, and conflicts between them and trade-offs can occur. Our paper is the first to contrast a dual goal for speed and accuracy with a single goal for speed on the same task. The Sternberg paradigm (Experiment 1, n = 57) and the d2 test (Experiment 2, n = 19) were used as performance tasks. Speed measures and errors revealed in both experiments that dual as well as single goals increase performance by enhancing memory scanning. However, the single speed goal triggered a speed-accuracy trade-off, favoring speed over accuracy, whereas this was not the case with the dual goal. In difficult trials, dual goals slowed down scanning processes again so that errors could be prevented. This new finding is particularly relevant for security domains, where both aspects have to be managed simultaneously.

The Effects of Decision Time on Perceptions of Decisions and Decision Makers in (Moral) Trade-Off Scenarios

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna Katharina Spälti ◽  
Mark John Brandt ◽  
Marcel Zeelenberg
Keyword(s):  
Decision Process ◽  
Decision Time ◽  
Decision Makers ◽  
Process Information ◽  
Total N ◽  
Trade Off ◽  
Financial Gain ◽  
Trade Offs ◽  
Sacred Values ◽  
Moral Context

People often have to make trade-offs. We study three types of trade-offs: 1) "secular trade-offs" where no moral or sacred values are at stake, 2) "taboo trade-offs" where sacred values are pitted against financial gain, and 3) "tragic trade-offs" where sacred values are pitted against other sacred values. Previous research (Critcher et al., 2011; Tetlock et al., 2000) demonstrated that tragic and taboo trade-offs are not only evaluated by their outcomes, but are also evaluated based on the time it took to make the choice. We investigate two outstanding questions: 1) whether the effect of decision time differs for evaluations of decisions compared to decision makers and 2) whether moral contexts are unique in their ability to influence character evaluations through decision process information. In two experiments (total N = 1434) we find that decision time affects character evaluations, but not evaluations of the decision itself. There were no significant differences between tragic trade-offs and secular trade-offs, suggesting that the decisions structure may be more important in evaluations than moral context. Additionally, the magnitude of the effect of decision time shows us that decision time, may be of less practical use than expected. We thus urge, to take a closer examination of the processes underlying decision time and its perception.

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