The evolution of fecundity is associated with female body size but not female‐biased sexual size dimorphism among frogs

Sexual size dimorphism (SSD) is one of the most common ways in which males and females differ. Male‐biased SSD (when males are larger) is often attributed to sexual selection favouring large males. When females are larger (female‐biased SSD), it is often argued that natural selection favouring increased fecundity (i.e. larger clutches or eggs) has coevolved with larger female body size. Using comparative phylogenetic and multispecies regression model selection approaches, we test the hypothesis that among‐species variation in female fecundity is associated with the evolution of female‐biased SSD. We also ask whether the hypothesized relationship between SSD and fecundity is relaxed upon the evolution of parental care. Our results suggest a strong relationship between the evolution of fecundity and body size, but we find no significant relationship between fecundity and SSD. Similarly, there does not appear to be a relationship between fecundity and the presence or absence of parental care among species. Thus, although female body size and fecundity coevolve, selection for increased fecundity as an explanation for female‐biased SSD is inconsistent with our analyses. We caution that a relationship between female body size and fecundity is insufficient evidence for fecundity selection driving the evolution of female‐biased SSD.     

沱江宽体沙鳅个体生殖力的研究

2010年5～9月从长江支流沱江收集性成熟宽体沙鳅个体,研究了其个体生殖力及其与多项生物学指标的关系。实验鱼共76尾,由2+、3、4龄鱼组成。其绝对生殖力(F)为414～9625粒,平均3230粒;体长相对生殖力(FL)为50～837粒/cm,平均324粒/cm;体重相对生殖力(FW)为21～789粒/g,平均227粒/g;绝对生殖力、体长相对生殖力和体重相对生殖力与成熟系数呈幂函数相关,回归方程为:F=177.99GSI0.9872,FL=20.315GSI0.9592,FW=13.957GSI0.9542;绝对生殖力和体长相对生殖力与体重呈幂函数相关,回归方程为:F=9.4876M1.9425,FL=2.2684M1.6597。     

家蝇幼虫中试生产中饲料和种蝇密度对产卵力的影响

研究了家蝇Musca domestica幼虫中试生产中的种蝇产卵力。结果表明,以红糖、奶粉作为种蝇饲料时产卵力最高,在饲料中加入蔬菜汁有助于提高种蝇产卵力。在设置的种蝇密度范围内,种蝇密度中等时（5.973 头/m3）,单蝇平均产卵力最大（9.68 粒/天）;种蝇密度越大,产卵力相对越稳定,每笼总产卵数越多。同日龄的成蝇群体开始产卵后,约4天进入产卵高峰期,此期持续3～5天;一周后,产卵力开始明显下降。产卵高峰期过后,人为处死当前种群,并使另一种群的产卵高峰期接续上,可将种蝇产卵力连续维持在较高水平,这是人工饲育条件下的重要特点。     

Body size and fecundity in the waterstrider Aquarius remigis: a test of Darwin's fecundity advantage hypothesis

The general female bias in body size of animals is usually attributed to fecundity selection. While many studies have demonstrated a positive relationship between body size and fecundity, the most common interpretation of fecundity selection is that larger females have larger abdomens and can hold more eggs, yet the relationship between abdomen size and fecundity has rarely been examined. For the waterstrider, Aquarius remigis, we find a significant relationship between body size and fecundity and demonstrate that the target of fecundity selection is abdomen size. Thus, larger females have higher fecundities because they have larger abdomens and not because of their total size per se. The rate at which fecundity increases with increasing abdomen size exceeds that which would be expected due to a simple volume constraint and suggests that other factors, such as increased ability to obtain resources, may contribute to the increase in fecundity with body size. Selection intensities estimated from our data indicate that fecundity selection could be a significant selective force on both total and abdomen lengths. Previous studies have found that abdomen size increased faster than body size and thus, larger females had relatively larger abdomens. The relationship of abdomen length and thorax length in A. remigis is hypoallometric and indicates that larger females have relatively smaller abdomens. We hypothesize that this may reflect conservation of abdomen size in females developing under poor conditions. Finally, while egg size is not directly related to body size, we find a trade-off between egg size and number when female abdomen length is held constant, suggesting that selection on egg size may influence abdomen length only indirectly through its effects on fecundity.     

Stability effects of a juvenile period in age-structured populations

Prior theoretical studies have shown that the juvenile period's length is an important determinant of local stability in age-structured population dynamics. For example, both short and long periods produce stability, but intermediate lengths can cause instability. Short juvenile periods significantly increase stability (compared to no juvenile period) if fecundity is independent of adult age. Here I re-examine these and other patterns, using a model which includes a variable juvenile period, juvenile mortality, density-dependent fecundity and adult mortality, and age-dependence is adult fecundity. Among other things, the results confirm the stable-unstable-stable pattern with increasing juvenile period length, but show that the stabilizing effect of short periods disappears when fecundity varies with adult age. Broadly speaking, the results suggest that age-dependence in adult fecundity has important dynamical consequences, and that models assuming that fecundity is independent of adult age may be unreliable guides to the dynamics of populations for which this assumption is not reasonably accurate.     

Some issues related to reproduction of Pacific cod <Emphasis Type="Italic">Gadus macrocephalus</Emphasis> in waters of the eastern coast of the northern Kuril Islands and the southern extremity of Kamchatka

The analysis of data collected in December 1996 and 1998 on the reproduction of cod Gadus macrocephalus in Pacific waters of the northern Kuril Islands and the southern part of Kamchatka was performed. It was shown that the individual absolute fecundity of the cod varies within 0.197–9.729 million eggs and the relative fecundity, in the range of 24-1386 eggs. The fecundity of 1000 mature females comprises 2179–2449 million eggs. The low individual fecundity of fish is related to pseudobranchial tumor growth. The main role in cod reproduction is played by females of two-three size groups characterized by the highest numbers of mature females. It is suggested that different fecundity within the range of Pacific cod is related to environmental conditions, in particular, water temperature in the spawning grounds during spawning rather than to the habitation latitude.     

When fecundity does not equal fitness: evidence of an offspring quantity versus quality trade-off in pre-industrial humans

Maternal fitness should be maximized by the optimal division of reproductive investment between offspring number and offspring quality. While evidence for this is abundant in many taxa, there have been fewer tests in mammals, and in particular, humans. We used a dataset of humans spanning three generations from pre-industrial Finland to test how increases in maternal fecundity affect offspring quality and maternal fitness in contrasting socio-economic conditions. For 'resource-poor' landless families, but not 'resource-rich' landowning families, maternal fitness returns diminished with increased maternal fecundity. This was because the average offspring contribution to maternal fitness declined with increased maternal fecundity for landless but not landowning families. This decline was due to reduced offspring recruitment with increased maternal fecundity. However, in landowning families, recruited offspring fecundity increased with increased maternal fecundity. This suggests that despite decreased offspring recruitment, maternal fitness is not reduced in favourable socio-economic conditions due to an increase in subsequent offspring fecundity. These results provide evidence consistent with an offspring quantity-quality trade-off in the lifetime reproduction of humans from poor socio-economic conditions. The results also highlight the importance of measuring offspring quality across their whole lifespan to estimate reliably the fitness consequences of increased maternal fecundity.     

Experimental increase in fecundity causes upregulation of fecundity and body maintenance genes in the fat body of ant queens

In most organisms, fecundity and longevity are negatively associated and the molecular regulation of these two life-history traits is highly interconnected. In addition, nutrient intake often has opposing effects on lifespan and reproduction. In contrast to solitary insects, the main reproductive individual of social hymenopterans, the queen, is also the most long-lived. During development, queen larvae are well-nourished, but we are only beginning to understand the impact of nutrition on the queens'' adult life and the molecular regulation and connectivity of fecundity and longevity. Here, we used two experimental manipulations to alter queen fecundity in the ant Temnothorax rugatulus and investigated associated changes in fat body gene expression. Egg removal triggered a fecundity increase, leading to expression changes in genes with functions in fecundity such as oogenesis and body maintenance. Dietary restriction lowered the egg production of queens and altered the expression of genes linked to autophagy, Toll signalling, cellular homeostasis and immunity. Our study reveals that an experimental increase in fecundity causes the co-activation of reproduction and body maintenance mechanisms, shedding light on the molecular regulation of the link between longevity and fecundity in social insects.     

The effect of inbreeding on potato cyst-nematode, Heterodera rostochiensis

Two populations, Duddingston and Feltwell, of potato cyst-nematode were inbred for seven and six generations respectively. The Duddingston population maintained a high fecundity in some lines for three generations, but in subsequent generations the fecundity as measured by cyst production declined in spite of selection for high fecundity. By selecting for fecundity, some lines of the Feltwell population still produced many cysts after five generations of inbreeding. In the Duddingston population it was possible to increase the number of cysts produced by an inbred line of poor fecundity by using paired cysts plus selection for fecundity. A similar change may have been obtained for unprolific lines of the Feltwell population. Selection for production of few cysts quickly produced lines with poor fecundity. One cause of poor fecundity was the small number of larvae in cysts used for inoculations. Yellow eggs were found in large numbers in some cysts but these were not a cause of loss of fecundity following repeated inbreeding.     

足木足河黄石爬■个体生殖力研究

2012年7月和2013年6月于大渡河流域足木足河日部-足木足段采集黄石爬鮡Euchiloglanis kishinouyei,研究性腺Ⅳ期雌性个体生殖力及其与多项形态学指标的关系。结果显示:黄石爬鮡为一次性产卵鱼类,产卵群体以5~8龄鱼为主;个体绝对生殖力247.77粒±81.37粒,体长相对生殖力17.75粒/cm±5.34粒/cm,体质量相对生殖力6.59粒/g±1.99粒/g,繁殖策略属于典型的K对策者;绝对生殖力、体长相对生殖力和体质量相对生殖力均与成熟系数相关性显著,绝对生殖力与体长、体质量相对生殖力与净体质量和肥满度相关性较显著,可根据成熟系数、体长和体质量预测其种群繁殖能力,进而了解其种群的动态变化。     

取食经历对美洲斑潜蝇雌成虫寿命及生殖力的影响

在实验室条件下 ,研究了取食经历对美洲斑潜蝇雌Liriomyzasativae成虫寿命和生殖力的影响。结果表明 ,幼虫期在黄瓜取食而成虫期在四季豆上取食时 ,其雌成虫寿命、总产卵量和日平均产卵量均明显小于幼虫期在长豇豆上取食而成虫期在四季豆上取食时 (P <0 0 1 ) ;当幼虫期同在长豇豆上取食时 ,成虫在黄瓜上取食时的雌成虫寿命、总产卵量和日平均产卵量均明显小于成虫在四季豆取食时 (P<0 0 5或P <0 0 1 )。这说明美洲斑潜蝇幼虫和成虫取食经历对其成虫寿命和生殖力均有显著的影响     

Changes in the fecundity of tent caterpillars: a correlated character of disease resistance or sublethal effect of disease?

Over the fluctuation in population density of tent caterpillars, Malacosoma californicum pluviale and M. disstria, fecundity changes from being high at peak density to low for several years during the decline. During the increase phase, fecundity rapidly returns to moderately high levels with a further increase occurring to-ward the end of the increase phase. Two hypotheses which might explain these shifts are that (1) mortality from viral disease which is common during population declines selects for resistant individuals with low fecundity as an associated characteristic, and (2) sublethal viral disease reduces fecundity of moths during population decline. In this study we observed rapid shifts in the frequencies of large and small egg masses and in the mean fecundity between different phases of the population fluctuation. Viral disease was more common in caterpillars from small egg masses of the forest tent caterpillar. These observations are consistent with the hypothesis that sublethal effects of virus reduce the fecundity of moths during the population decline, but high fecundity is quickly restored when disease is rare during the population increase.     

徐家河水库翘嘴鲌的个体生殖力

2008年4-6月,在徐家河水库采集性成熟翘嘴鲌雌鱼,取鳞片鉴定年龄(A),测量其体长(L)、体质量(M)和性腺质量(M_o)等形态指标,用称量法计数个体绝对生殖力(F),据此计算体长相对生殖力(F_L)、体质量相对生殖力(F_M)、成熟系数（GSI）和肥满度(CF)等指标,对徐家河水库翘嘴鲌个体生殖力与形态指标的关系进行了分析.结果表明：调查样本由2⁺～5⁺龄组成,个体绝对生殖力与体长、体质量和年龄分别呈幂函数、幂函数和直线相关,体长相对生殖力与体长、体质量和年龄也分别呈幂函数、幂函数和直线相关,而体质量相对生殖力与各形态指标的相关性不显著.多元逐步回归分析结果表明,研究区翘嘴鲌个体绝对生殖力与体质量和性腺质量密切相关,体长相对生殖力与性腺质量、肥满度和成熟系数密切相关,而体质量相对生殖力仅与成熟系数相关.     

Comparative oocyte morphology and fecundity of five characid species from São Francisco River basin,Brazil

The morphology of vitellogenic oocytes and the batch fecundity of five tropical forage species belonging to the family Characidae, were studied in 104 late‐maturing ovaries. Significant morphological differences between vitellogenic oocytes and ovarian follicles were found. The lowest batch fecundity values were recorded in Hemigrammus marginatus (480 ± 163) and Orthospinus franciscensis (1701 ± 562), which were the smaller species in terms of total length, body weight and oocyte diameter. The highest batch fecundity value was observed in Tetragonopterus chalceus (8384 ± 3944) having the highest GSI and oocyte diameter. Batch fecundity and gonad weight was highly correlated followed by body weight and total length. Relative fecundity was estimated per unit total length, body weight and gonad weight. The wide variation in fecundity observed between the specimens and the species analysed is possibly related to the multiple spawning reproductive strategy of these fishes. Since T. chalceus have higher values of batch and relative fecundity, it is concluded that this species has a higher reproductive potential than the other forage species studied.     

The evolution of threshold traits: effects of selection on fecundity and correlated response in wing dimorphism in the sand cricket

The quantitative genetic basis of traits can be determined using a pedigree analysis or a selection experiment. Each approach is valuable and the combined data can contribute more than either method alone. Analysis using both sib analysis and selection is particularly essential when there are likely to be nonlinearities in the functional relationships among traits. A class of traits for which this occurs is that of threshold traits, which are characterized by a dichotomous phenotype that is determined by a threshold of sensitivity and a continuously distributed underlying trait called the liability. In this case, traits that are correlated with the liability may show a nonlinear relationship due to the dichotomy of expression at the phenotypic level. For example, in wing dimorphic insects fecundity of the macropterous (long-winged) females appears in part to be determined by the allocation of resources to the flight muscles, which are almost invariably small or absent in the micropterous (short-winged, flightless) females. Pedigree analysis of the cricket Gryllus firmus has shown that wing morph, fecundity and the trade-off between the two have additive genetic (co)variance. It has also been shown that selection on proportion macroptery produced an asymmetric correlated response of fecundity. The present paper details the results of direct selection on fecundity and the correlated response in proportion macroptery. Selection for increased fecundity resulted in increased fecundity within both wing morphs and a correlated decrease in proportion macroptery. Similarly, selection for decreased fecundity resulted in a decrease within morphs and a correlated increase in the proportion of macropterous females. This provides additional evidence that the trade-off between fecundity and wing morphology has a genetic basis and will thus modulate the evolution of the two traits.     

The curvilinear relationship between worm length and fecundity of Teladorsagia circumcincta.

The variation among sheep in fecundity of Teladorsagia (Ostertagia) circumcincta was estimated by dividing the faecal egg count by the worm number following deliberate infection of mature Scottish Blackface lambs. Fecundity was skewed and ranged from 0 to 350 eggs per worm per day. Most animals had relatively low worm fecundities, but a small number of individuals had relatively high worm fecundities. However, as fecundity is a ratio of two imprecise estimates, extreme values may be statistical artefacts. Following both deliberate and natural infection, differences in worm fecundity were associated with differences in adult female worm length. In both infections, fecundity varied with worm length to the power 0.4. This relationship should assist the measurement of fecundity in studies of host immunity, in epidemiological modelling and in estimating the influence of density-dependent relationships.     

Evolution of late-life fecundity in Drosophila melanogaster

Late-life fecundity has been shown to plateau at late ages in Drosophila analogously to late-life mortality rates. In this study, we test an evolutionary theory of late life based on the declining force of natural selection that can explain the occurrence of these late-life plateaus in Drosophila. We also examine the viability of eggs laid by late-age females and test a population genetic mechanism that may be involved in the evolution of late-life fecundity: antagonistic pleiotropy. Together these experiments demonstrate that (i) fecundity plateaus at late ages, (ii) plateaus evolve according to the age at which the force of natural selection acting on fecundity reaches zero, (iii) eggs laid by females in late life are viable and (iv) antagonistic pleiotropy is involved in the evolution of late-life fecundity. This study further supports the evolutionary theory of late life based on the age-specific force of natural selection.     

Thermal variation reveals natural variation between isolates of Caenorhabditis elegans

The free-living nematode Caenorhabditis elegans is distributed globally and found in many varied habitats. However, in comparison to our understanding of the genetics of the species, little is known about natural variation and many major life history traits appear to show only limited differences between isolates. Here we show that temperature affects the lifetime fecundity and the reproductive timing of C. elegans and that there is a genotype by environment interaction, with isolates varying in how lifetime fecundity changes with temperature. We show that the lower lifetime fecundity observed at higher temperatures is primarily due to a reduction in the number of functional sperm. Further, isolates vary in their lifetime fecundity because of inter-isolate differences in this effect of temperature on the number of functional sperm.     

Fecundity selection theory: concepts and evidence

Fitness results from an optimal balance between survival, mating success and fecundity. The interactions between these three components of fitness vary depending on the selective context, from positive covariation between them, to antagonistic pleiotropic relationships when fitness increases in one reduce the fitness of others. Therefore, elucidating the routes through which selection shapes life history and phenotypic adaptations via these fitness components is of primary significance to understanding ecological and evolutionary dynamics. However, while the fitness components mediated by natural (survival) and sexual (mating success) selection have been debated extensively from most possible perspectives, fecundity selection remains considerably less studied. Here, we review the theoretical basis, evidence and implications of fecundity selection as a driver of sex‐specific adaptive evolution. Based on accumulating literature on the life‐history, phenotypic and ecological aspects of fecundity, we (i) suggest a re‐arrangement of the concepts of fecundity, whereby we coin the term ‘transient fecundity’ to refer to brood size per reproductive episode, while ‘annual’ and ‘lifetime fecundity’ should not be used interchangeably with ‘transient fecundity’ as they represent different life‐history parameters; (ii) provide a generalized re‐definition of the concept of fecundity selection as a mechanism that encompasses any traits that influence fecundity in any direction (from high to low) and in either sex; (iii) review the (macro)ecological basis of fecundity selection (e.g. ecological pressures that influence predictable spatial variation in fecundity); (iv) suggest that most ecological theories of fecundity selection should be tested in organisms other than birds; (v) argue that the longstanding fecundity selection hypothesis of female‐biased sexual size dimorphism (SSD) has gained inconsistent support, that strong fecundity selection does not necessarily drive female‐biased SSD, and that this form of SSD can be driven by other selective pressures; and (vi) discuss cases in which fecundity selection operates on males. This conceptual analysis of the theory of fecundity selection promises to help illuminate one of the central components of fitness and its contribution to adaptive evolution.     

甲壳动物生殖量和环境关系Ⅲ.其他甲壳类

本文是《甲壳动物生殖量与环境关系》系列文章的第三篇,也是最末篇,专述其他甲壳动物,包括鳃足类、介形类、蔓足类、涟虫类、等足类、端足类、糠虾类、磷虾类,以及十足类(含樱虾类、真虾类、海螯虾类、龙虾类,及寄居蟹类、蟹类)和口足类的生殖量和环境关系。本文内容也分为“生殖量变化”和“生殖量和环境关系”二大部分。这样,可与前二篇作对比研究,从而找出其异同点。并为探索生殖量变化机制及规律,打下理论基础。