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    Bigger is not always better : offspring size does not predict growth or survival for seven ascidian species

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    09-2072.1.pdf (805.9Kb)
    Date
    2010-12
    Author
    Jacobs, Molly W.  Concept link
    Sherrard, Kristin M.  Concept link
    Metadata
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    Citable URI
    https://hdl.handle.net/1912/4686
    As published
    https://doi.org/10.1890/09-2072.1
    DOI
    10.1890/09-2072.1
    Keyword
     Ascidian; Growth rate; Offspring size; Size-quality tradeoff; Survival; Tunicate 
    Abstract
    The presumed trade-off between offspring size and quality predicted by life history theory is often invoked to explain the wide range of propagule sizes observed in animals and plants. This trade-off is broadly supported by intraspecific studies but has been difficult to test in an interspecific context, particularly in animals. We tested the fitness consequences of offspring size both intra- and interspecifically for seven species of ascidians (sessile, suspension-feeding, marine invertebrates) whose offspring volumes varied over three orders of magnitude. We measured two major components of fitness, juvenile growth rates and survival, in laboratory and field experiments encompassing several food conditions. Contrary to the predictions of life history theory, larger offspring size did not result in higher rates of growth or survival, and large offspring did not perform better under nutritional stress, either intraspecifically or interspecifically. In fact, two of the four species with small offspring grew rapidly enough to catch up in size to the species with large offspring in as little as eight weeks, under wild-type food conditions. Trade-offs between growth potential and defense may overwhelm and obscure any trade-offs between offspring size and survival or growth rate. While large initial size may still confer a competitive advantage, we failed to detect any consequences of interspecific variation in initial size. This implies that larger offspring in these species, far from being inherently superior in growth or survival, require compensation in other aspects of life history if reproductive effort is to be efficient. Our results suggest that the importance of initial offspring size is context dependent and often overestimated relative to other life history traits.
    Description
    Author Posting. © Ecological Society of America, 2010. This article is posted here by permission of Ecological Society of America for personal use, not for redistribution. The definitive version was published in Ecology 91 (2010): 3598–3608, doi:10.1890/09-2072.1.
    Collections
    • Biology
    Suggested Citation
    Ecology 91 (2010): 3598–3608
     

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