Metabolic rate evolves rapidly and in parallel with the pace of life history

Auer, S. K., Dick, C. A., Metcalfe, N. B. and Reznick, D. N. (2018) Metabolic rate evolves rapidly and in parallel with the pace of life history. Nature Communications, 9, 14. (doi: 10.1038/s41467-017-02514-z) (PMID:29295982) (PMCID:PMC5750215)

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Abstract

Metabolic rates and life history strategies are both thought to set the "pace of life", but whether they evolve in tandem is not well understood. Here, using a common garden experiment that compares replicate paired populations, we show that Trinidadian guppy (Poecilia reticulata) populations that evolved a fast-paced life history in high-predation environments have consistently higher metabolic rates than guppies that evolved a slow-paced life history in low-predation environments. Furthermore, by transplanting guppies from high- to low-predation environments, we show that metabolic rate evolves in parallel with the pace of life history, at a rapid rate, and in the same direction as found for naturally occurring populations. Together, these multiple lines of inference provide evidence for a tight evolutionary coupling between metabolism and the pace of life history.

Item Type:Articles
Additional Information:This research was funded by a University of Glasgow Lister Bellahouston Travelling Fellowship to S.K.A., a US National Science Foundation Pre-Doctoral Fellowship to C.A.D., a European Research Council Advanced grant (no. 322784) to N.B.M., and US National Science Foundation grants (DEB-0623632EF and DEB-1258231) to D.N.R.
Status:Published
Refereed:Yes
Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID:Auer, Dr Sonya and Metcalfe, Professor Neil
Authors: Auer, S. K., Dick, C. A., Metcalfe, N. B., and Reznick, D. N.
College/School:College of Medical Veterinary and Life Sciences > School of Biodiversity, One Health & Veterinary Medicine
Journal Name:Nature Communications
Publisher:Nature Research
ISSN:2041-1723
ISSN (Online):2041-1723
Copyright Holders:Copyright © 2017 The Authors
First Published:First published in Nature Communications 9: 14
Publisher Policy:Reproduced under a Creative Commons License

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