Have superfetation and matrotrophy facilitated the evolution of larger offspring in poeciliid fishes?

ABSTRACT: Superfetation is the ability of females to simultaneously carry multiple broods of embryos, with each brood at a different developmental stage. Matrotrophy is the post-fertilization maternal provisioning of nutrients to developing embryos throughout gestation. Several studies have demonstrated that, in viviparous fishes, superfetation and matrotrophy have evolved in a correlated way, such that species capable of bearing several simultaneous broods also exhibit advanced degrees of post-fertilization provisioning. The adaptive value of the concurrent presence of both reproductive modes may be associated with the production of larger newborns, which in turn may result in enhanced offspring fitness. In this study, we tested two hypotheses: (1) species with superfetation and moderate or extensi

SUBMITTER: Olivera-Tlahuel C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4659389 | biostudies-literature | 2015 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature