Life histories are not just fast or slow
Life histories are not just fast or slow
Life history strategies, which combine schedules of survival, development, and reproduction, shape how natural selection acts on species’ heritable traits and organismal fitness. Comparative analyses have historically ranked life histories along a fast–slow continuum, describing a negative association between time allocation to reproduction and development versus survival. However, higher-quality, more representative data and analyses have revealed that life history variation cannot be fully accounted for by this single continuum. Moreover, studies often do not test predictions from existing theories and instead operate as exploratory exercises. To move forward, we offer three recommendations for future investigations: standardizing life history traits, overcoming taxonomic siloes, and using theory to move from describing to understanding life history variation across the Tree of Life.
life history strategy, life history theory, life history trait, phylogenetic comparative analysis, reproductive tactic
830-840
Stott, Iain
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Salguero-Gomez, Roberto
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Jones, Owen R.
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Ezard, Thomas H.G.
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Gamelon, Marlène
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Lachish, Shelly
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Lebreton, Jean-Dominique
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Simmonds, Emily G.
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Gaillard, Jean-Michel
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Hodgson, Dave J.
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September 2024
Stott, Iain
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Salguero-Gomez, Roberto
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Jones, Owen R.
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Ezard, Thomas H.G.
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Gamelon, Marlène
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Lachish, Shelly
b34ca326-1170-47c1-ad03-4c441d7e46fc
Lebreton, Jean-Dominique
aa284234-3a63-4310-ac20-93175aa24b82
Simmonds, Emily G.
904a723b-d196-427e-8a98-34d6e285824c
Gaillard, Jean-Michel
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Hodgson, Dave J.
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Stott, Iain, Salguero-Gomez, Roberto, Jones, Owen R., Ezard, Thomas H.G., Gamelon, Marlène, Lachish, Shelly, Lebreton, Jean-Dominique, Simmonds, Emily G., Gaillard, Jean-Michel and Hodgson, Dave J.
(2024)
Life histories are not just fast or slow.
Trends in Ecology & Evolution, 39 (9), .
(doi:10.1016/j.tree.2024.06.001).
Abstract
Life history strategies, which combine schedules of survival, development, and reproduction, shape how natural selection acts on species’ heritable traits and organismal fitness. Comparative analyses have historically ranked life histories along a fast–slow continuum, describing a negative association between time allocation to reproduction and development versus survival. However, higher-quality, more representative data and analyses have revealed that life history variation cannot be fully accounted for by this single continuum. Moreover, studies often do not test predictions from existing theories and instead operate as exploratory exercises. To move forward, we offer three recommendations for future investigations: standardizing life history traits, overcoming taxonomic siloes, and using theory to move from describing to understanding life history variation across the Tree of Life.
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Accepted/In Press date: 4 June 2024
e-pub ahead of print date: 13 July 2024
Published date: September 2024
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© 2024 The Authors
Keywords:
life history strategy, life history theory, life history trait, phylogenetic comparative analysis, reproductive tactic
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Local EPrints ID: 492493
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/492493
ISSN: 0169-5347
PURE UUID: 866266cd-1057-43ff-97ce-dd3c853ab7ad
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Date deposited: 30 Jul 2024 16:32
Last modified: 18 Dec 2024 02:45
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Contributors
Author:
Iain Stott
Author:
Roberto Salguero-Gomez
Author:
Owen R. Jones
Author:
Thomas H.G. Ezard
Author:
Marlène Gamelon
Author:
Shelly Lachish
Author:
Jean-Dominique Lebreton
Author:
Emily G. Simmonds
Author:
Jean-Michel Gaillard
Author:
Dave J. Hodgson
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