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Complex Reproductive Traits and Whole-Organism Performance
1Department of Biology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA.
Integrative and Comparative Biology
|September 2, 2017
Summary
This study expands Arnold's fitness paradigm by integrating behavior and motivation, highlighting overlooked trade-offs between life history and performance traits, particularly in reproduction and locomotion.
Area of Science:
- Evolutionary biology
- Physiological ecology
- Behavioral ecology
Background:
- Arnold's 1983 path-analytic paradigm links morphology, performance, and fitness.
- Current models incorporate behavior and motivation as filters between performance and fitness.
- Gaps exist in understanding direct trait effects and interdisciplinary communication.
Purpose of the Study:
- To elaborate on Arnold's paradigm by integrating behavior and motivation.
- To explore trade-offs between life-history traits and performance, especially in reproduction.
- To bridge research cultures in life history and performance studies.
Main Methods:
- Conceptual elaboration of the path-analytic paradigm.
- Review of existing literature on life history, performance, and behavior.
- Proposal of empirical approaches to study integrated trait relationships.
Main Results:
- Behavioral choices can buffer performance from direct selection.
- Individual variation in subordinate traits may directly influence various life-history components.
- Significant trade-offs between life history (e.g., reproduction) and performance (e.g., locomotion) are expected but understudied.
Conclusions:
- The paradigm can be extended to include behavior and motivation more explicitly.
- Integrating life-history and performance research is crucial for a comprehensive understanding of fitness.
- Further empirical studies are needed to explore these complex trait interactions and trade-offs, including in areas like sperm biology.
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