The Evolution of Offspring Size: a Metabolic Scaling Perspective.

ABSTRACT: Size at the start of life reflects the initial per offspring parental investment - including both the embryo and the nutrients supplied to it. Initial offspring size can vary substantially both within and among species. Within species, increasing offspring size can enhance growth, reproduction, competitive ability, and reduce susceptibility to predation and starvation later in life, that can ultimately increase fitness. Previous work has suggested that the fitness benefits of larger offspring size may be driven by energy expenditure during development - or how offspring metabolic rate scales with offspring size. Despite the importance of early life energy expenditure in shaping later life fitness trajectories, consideration of among-species scaling of metabolic rate at the time of birth as

SUBMITTER: Pettersen AK 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9724151 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature