Document Detail


Small body size in an insect shifts development, prior to adult eclosion, towards early reproduction.
MedLine Citation:
PMID:  16600887     Owner:  NLM     Status:  MEDLINE    
Abstract/OtherAbstract:
Life-history theory has suggested that individual body size can strongly affect the allocation of resources to reproduction and away from other traits such as survival. In many insects, adults eclose with a proportion of their potential lifetime egg production that is already mature (the ovigeny index). We establish for the solitary parasitoid wasp Aphaereta genevensis that the ovigeny index decreases with adult body size, despite both initial egg load and potential lifetime fecundity increasing with body size. This outcome is predicted by adaptive models and is the first unequivocal intraspecific demonstration. Evidence suggests that a high ovigeny index carries a cost of reduced longevity in insects. Our results therefore contribute to the emerging evidence that small body size can favour a developmental shift in juveniles that favours early reproduction, but which has adverse late-life consequences. These findings are likely to have important implications for developmental biologists and population biologists.
Authors:
Ashley D Thorne; John J Pexton; Calvin Dytham; Peter J Mayhew
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Publication Detail:
Type:  Journal Article    
Journal Detail:
Title:  Proceedings. Biological sciences / The Royal Society     Volume:  273     ISSN:  0962-8452     ISO Abbreviation:  Proc. Biol. Sci.     Publication Date:  2006 May 
Date Detail:
Created Date:  2006-04-07     Completed Date:  2006-08-07     Revised Date:  2010-09-15    
Medline Journal Info:
Nlm Unique ID:  101245157     Medline TA:  Proc Biol Sci     Country:  England    
Other Details:
Languages:  eng     Pagination:  1099-103     Citation Subset:  IM    
Affiliation:
Department of Biology, Area 18, University of York, PO Box 373, York YO10 5YW, UK.
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MeSH Terms
Descriptor/Qualifier:
Animals
Body Size / physiology*
Female
Fertility / physiology
Longevity
Oogenesis / physiology*
Reproduction / physiology*
Species Specificity
Wasps / physiology*
Comments/Corrections

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