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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 27, 2025

Resurrection of Dormant Daphnia magna: Protocol and Applications

Resurrection of Dormant Daphnia magna: Protocol and Applications

Published on: January 19, 2018

Evolutionary trade-offs in dormancy phenology.

Théo Constant¹, F Stephen Dobson^1,2, Caroline Habold¹

¹UMR 7178, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Institut Pluridisciplinaire Hubert CURIEN, Université de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France.

|April 26, 2024

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Animal dormancy timing is explained by both physiological needs and life-history advantages like reduced predation. Sex differences in hibernation phenology link to reproduction and environmental factors.

Keywords:

dormancy ecology energy balance evolutionary biology metabolic suppression protandry reproductive investment risk spreading

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Area of Science:

Zoology
Ecology
Evolutionary Biology

Background:

Seasonal animal dormancy, or hibernation, is traditionally viewed as a physiological adaptation to harsh environmental conditions.
Alternative 'life-history' hypotheses suggest dormancy also serves to minimize predation and competition risks.

Purpose of the Study:

To comparatively test the physiological constraint and life-history hypotheses for explaining animal dormancy phenology.
To investigate the influence of reproductive effort and environmental factors on sex differences in hibernation timing.

Main Methods:

Phylogenetic comparative methods were applied to over 20 mammalian hibernator species.
Data on hibernation entry (immergence) and emergence timing were analyzed in relation to reproductive strategies and environmental variables.

Main Results:

Both physiological constraint and life-history hypotheses were supported in explaining dormancy phenology across mammalian species.
Sex differences in hibernation timing were correlated with differences in reproductive effort and influenced by factors like temperature, precipitation, and body mass.
Preliminary evidence suggests ectotherm dormancy is less temperature-dependent and aligns with life-history trade-offs.

Conclusions:

Dormancy phenology is shaped by a combination of physiological demands and survival benefits, particularly reduced predation and competition.
Environmental and physiological factors interact to influence sex-specific hibernation strategies, with implications for reproductive success.
Dormancy may occur more broadly during periods unfavorable for reproduction, even when not strictly life-threatening.