The roles of body size and phylogeny in fast and slow life histories |
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Authors: | Jonathan M Jeschke Hanna Kokko |
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Institution: | 1. Laboratory of Ecological and Evolutionary Dynamics, Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 65, 00014, Helsinki, Finland 2. Evolutionary Ecology Unit, Department of Biological and Environmental Science, University of Jyv?skyl?, P.O. Box 35, 40014, Jyv?skyl?, Finland 3. Section of Evolutionary Ecology, Department of Biology II, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Grosshaderner Str. 2, 82152, Planegg-Martinsried, Germany
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Abstract: | Species’ life histories are often classified on a continuum from “fast” to “slow”, yet there is no consistently used definition
of this continuum. For example, some researchers include body mass as one of the traits defining the continuum, others factor
it out by analysing body-mass residuals, a third group performs both of these analyses and uses the terms “fast” and “slow”
in both ways, while still others do not mention body mass at all. Our analysis of European and North American freshwater fish,
mammals, and birds (N = 2,288 species) shows the fundamental differences between life-history patterns of raw data and of body-mass residuals.
Specifically, in fish and mammals, the number of traits defining the continuum decreases if body-mass residuals are analysed.
In birds, the continuum is defined by a different set of traits if body mass is factored out. Our study also exposes important
dissimilarities among the three taxonomic groups analysed. For example, while mammals and birds with a “slow” life history
have a low fecundity, the opposite is true for fish. We conclude that our understanding of life histories will improve if
differences between patterns of raw data and of body-mass residuals are acknowledged, as well as differences among taxonomic
groups, instead of using the “fast–slow continuum” too indiscriminately for any covarying traits that appear to suit the idea. |
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