Projects per year
Abstract
The processes driving age-related variation in demographic rates are central to understanding population and evolutionary ecology. An increasing number of studies in wild vertebrates find evidence for improvements in reproductive performance traits in early adulthood, followed by senescent declines in later life. However, life history theory predicts that reproductive investment should increase with age as future survival prospects diminish, and that raised reproductive investment may have associated survival costs. These non-mutually exclusive processes both predict an increase in breeding performance at the terminal breeding attempt. Here, we use a 30-year study of wandering albatrosses (Diomedea exulans) to disentangle the processes underpinning age-related variation in reproduction. Whilst highlighting the importance of breeding experience, we reveal senescent declines in performance are followed by a striking increase in breeding success and a key parental investment trait at the final breeding attempt.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 642-649 |
Number of pages | 8 |
Journal | Ecology Letters |
Volume | 16 |
Issue number | 5 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - May 2013 |
Keywords
- Ageing
- breeding experience
- cost of reproduction
- demographic variation
- Diomedea exulans
- history theory
- reproductive effort
- seabird
- terminal investment
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Dive into the research topics of 'Age-related variation in reproductive traits in the wandering albatross: evidence for terminal improvement following senescence'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.Projects
- 2 Finished
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Early-life environmental effects on ageing in an evolutionary context
1/09/10 → 31/08/16
Project: Research
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Evolution of Phenotypic plasticity and environmental change
Lewis, S.
1/09/07 → 30/04/16
Project: Research