Life history consequences of growth variation
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Glasgow
Department Name: Environmental and Evolutionary Biology
Abstract
It is now widely appreciated that, while animals may appear to recover from periods of poor food quality or quantity experienced in early development, adverse effects may occur later in adult life. Such effects can influence the performance of complete cohorts of animals, and have important consequences for population dynamics. The reasons why such delayed effects occur across the animals' lifetimes are poorly understood. Following a period of shortage, animals often grow rapidly and may appear to catch-up. The period of early poor early nutritional itself, or problems associated with subsequent accelerated growth, could potentially be responsible. These have not been separated. However, it is important that we understand whether compensatory growth does carry long-term costs, since this has widespread ramifications for our understanding of the evolution of growth rate (optimised or maximised?) and life history strategies. We will study the long-term consequences of variation in early growth trajectories, using the zebra finch as a study species. We will examine effects at the levels of DNA, cells, overall metabolism and senescence of the whole organism.
Organisations
Publications
Bize P
(2009)
Telomere dynamics rather than age predict life expectancy in the wild.
in Proceedings. Biological sciences
Criscuolo F
(2008)
Early nutrition and phenotypic development: 'catch-up' growth leads to elevated metabolic rate in adulthood.
in Proceedings. Biological sciences
Criscuolo F
(2009)
Real-time quantitative PCR assay for measurement of avian telomeres
in Journal of Avian Biology
Criscuolo F
(2011)
Costs of compensation: effect of early life conditions and reproduction on flight performance in zebra finches.
in Oecologia
Foote C
(2011)
Telomere dynamics in relation to early growth conditions in the wild in the lesser black-backed gull
in Journal of Zoology
ISAKSSON C
(2007)
Carotenoid pigmentation does not reflect total non-enzymatic antioxidant activity in plasma of adult and nestling great tits, Parus major
in Functional Ecology
Monaghan P
(2008)
Early growth conditions, phenotypic development and environmental change.
in Philosophical transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological sciences