Offspring mass variation in tree swallows: A case of bet-hedging?

ABSTRACT: The evolution of reproductive strategies is affected by the ability of organisms to deal with future environmental conditions. When environments are temporally unpredictable, however, it is difficult to anticipate optimal offspring phenotype. Diversification of offspring phenotypes, a strategy called diversified bet-hedging, may allow parents to maximize their fitness by reducing between-year variation in reproductive success. The link between diversification of offspring phenotypes and individual reproductive success, however, has rarely been documented empirically. We used an eight-year dataset (1215 broods, 870 females) on individually marked tree swallows (Tachycineta bicolor) to assess whether intra-brood mass variation was compatible with a diversified bet-hedging strategy. In

SUBMITTER: Gossieaux P 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9286465 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature