Evol Ecol Res 2: 375-383 (2000)     Full PDF if your library subscribes.

Evolution of life-history variation among species of altricial birds

Eric L. Charnov

Department of Biology, The University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87131-1091, USA

ABSTRACT

A unified approach is developed for the comparative structure of bird life histories. It combines four basic components (individual production rate as a function of adult body size, stable demography, inter-generational competition for breeding sites, and natural selection for an optimal size) to predict both the powers and intercepts of the interspecific allometries of life-history variables to adult size. The theory also predicts when a taxon should deviate from the interspecific scaling lines. Finally, the theory predicts (or makes use of ) several dimensionless numbers, particularly the ratio of non-breeders to breeders.

Keywords: allometry, birds, density dependence, dimensional analysis, life-history allometry, population regulation, production.

DOWNLOAD A FREE, FULL PDF COPY
IF you are connected using the IP of a subscribing institution (library, laboratory, etc.)
or through its VPN.

 

        © 2000 Eric I. Charnov. All EER articles are copyrighted by their authors. All authors endorse, permit and license Evolutionary Ecology Ltd. to grant its subscribing institutions/libraries the copying privileges specified below without additional consideration or payment to them or to Evolutionary Ecology, Ltd. These endorsements, in writing, are on file in the office of Evolutionary Ecology, Ltd. Consult authors for permission to use any portion of their work in derivative works, compilations or to distribute their work in any commercial manner.

       Subscribing institutions/libraries may grant individuals the privilege of making a single copy of an EER article for non-commercial educational or non-commercial research purposes. Subscribing institutions/libraries may also use articles for non-commercial educational purposes by making any number of copies for course packs or course reserve collections. Subscribing institutions/libraries may also loan single copies of articles to non-commercial libraries for educational purposes.

       All copies of abstracts and articles must preserve their copyright notice without modification.