The Evolution of Maternal Investment in Lizards: An Experimental and Comparative Analysis of Egg Size and Its Effects on Offspring Performance

Sinervo, Barry

doi:10.1111/j.1558-5646.1990.tb05198.x

Cited by 293 publications

(184 citation statements)

References 73 publications

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“…allometric engeneering 27 ). We wished to test two alternative hypotheses:

The relationship between egg size and heart rate is set prior to egg laying, in which case heart rate trajectories of yolk-removed eggs will be relatively unaffected compared to their siblings, potentially generating hatching asynchrony as smaller eggs might develop too fast for their mass.

The relationship between egg size and heart rate is not set prior to egg laying, in which case we expect yolk-removed eggs to compensate for their smaller size by slowing down development and hatching synchronously with control siblings.

…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Yolk removal generates hatching asynchrony in snake eggs

Aubret

Bignon

Bouffet-Halle

et al. 2017

Sci Rep

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Hatching synchrony is wide-spread amongst egg-laying species and is thought to enhance offspring survival, notably by diluting predation risks. Turtle and snake eggs were shown to achieve synchronous hatching by altering development rates (where less advanced eggs may accelerate development) or by hatching prematurely (where underdeveloped embryos hatch concurrently with full-term embryos). In Natricine snakes, smaller eggs tend to slow down metabolism throughout incubation in order to hatch synchronously with larger eggs. To explore the underlying mechanism of this phenomenon we experimentally manipulated six clutches, where half of the eggs were reduced in mass by removing 7.2% of yolk, and half were used as the control. The former experienced higher heart rates throughout the incubation period, hatched earlier and produced smaller hatchlings than the latter. This study supports the idea that developmental rates are related to egg mass in snake eggs and demonstrates that the relationship can be influenced by removing yolk after egg-laying. The shift in heart rates however occurred in the opposite direction to expected, with higher heart rates in yolk-removed eggs resulting in earlier hatching rather than lower heart rates resulting in synchronous hatching, warranting further research on the topic.

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“…allometric engeneering 27 ). We wished to test two alternative hypotheses:

…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Yolk removal generates hatching asynchrony in snake eggs

Aubret

Bignon

Bouffet-Halle

et al. 2017

Sci Rep

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show abstract

“…Larger offspring typically have higher fitness (e.g., in plants [1], [2], invertebrates [3], [4], and vertebrates [5], [6], [7]), but because the resources available for reproduction are limited, mothers must maximize their own fitness by balancing the benefits of producing larger, fitter offspring with the costs of decreased fecundity [8], [9]. A-single, optimal offspring size however is unlikely for any given species, because the strength and direction of the offspring size-fitness relationship is mediated by the environmental conditions experienced by the offspring [9], [10], [11], [12], [13], [14], [15], [16].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Egg Size Effects across Multiple Life-History Stages in the Marine Annelid Hydroides diramphus

Allen

Marshall

2014

PLoS ONE

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The optimal balance of reproductive effort between offspring size and number depends on the fitness of offspring size in a particular environment. The variable environments offspring experience, both among and within life-history stages, are likely to alter the offspring size/fitness relationship and favor different offspring sizes. Hence, the many environments experienced throughout complex life-histories present mothers with a significant challenge to optimally allocate their reproductive effort. In a marine annelid, we tested the relationship between egg size and performance across multiple life-history stages, including: fertilization, larval development, and post-metamorphosis survival and size in the field. We found evidence of conflicting effects of egg size on performance: larger eggs had higher fertilization under sperm-limited conditions, were slightly faster to develop pre-feeding, and were larger post-metamorphosis; however, smaller eggs had higher fertilization when sperm was abundant, and faster planktonic development; and egg size did not affect post-metamorphic survival. The results indicate that egg size effects are conflicting in H. diramphus depending on the environments within and among life-history stages. We suggest that offspring size in this species may be a compromise between the overall costs and benefits of egg sizes in each stage and that performance in any one stage is not maximized.

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“…This dissimilarity could be explained by the different fitness gains expected when increasing egg size or when modulating egg composition. An increase in egg size generally enhances offspring size, growth, survival and fitness [13]–[16]. In comparison, the benefit of modifying egg composition, such as increasing yolk hormones, is more context-dependent [17]–[19].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Females Paired with New and Heavy Mates Reduce Intra-Clutch Differences in Resource Allocation

Poisbleau

Dehnhard²,

Demongin³

et al. 2013

PLoS ONE

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Reproductive investment affects both offspring and parental fitness and influences the evolution of life histories. Females may vary their overall primary reproductive effort in relation to the phenotypic characteristics of their mate. However, the effects of male quality on differential resource allocation within clutches have been largely neglected despite the potential implications for mate choice and population dynamics, especially in species exhibiting biparental care and brood reduction. Female southern rockhopper penguins Eudyptes chrysocome paired with heavy mates reduced intra-clutch variation in egg and albumen masses. Females paired with new mates also reduced intra-clutch variation in yolk androgen levels. Since both an increased mass and increased androgen concentrations positively influence chick survival under sibling competition, the chances of fledging the whole clutch are likely to be higher for newly formed pairs with heavy males than for previously formed pairs with light males. Interestingly, total clutch provisioning did not vary with male quality. We show for the first time that females vary intra-clutch variation in resource allocation according to male quality. In species with brood reduction, it may be more adaptive for females to modulate the distribution of resources within the clutch according to breeding conditions, than to change their total clutch provisioning.

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The Evolution of Maternal Investment in Lizards: An Experimental and Comparative Analysis of Egg Size and Its Effects on Offspring Performance

Cited by 293 publications

References 73 publications

Yolk removal generates hatching asynchrony in snake eggs

Yolk removal generates hatching asynchrony in snake eggs

Egg Size Effects across Multiple Life-History Stages in the Marine Annelid Hydroides diramphus

Females Paired with New and Heavy Mates Reduce Intra-Clutch Differences in Resource Allocation

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