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Protocol for Assessing the Relative Effects of Environment and Genetics on Antler and Body Growth for a Long-lived Cervid

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Gain Curves, Reproductive Efficiency, and Sex Allocation.

¹Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria Melbourne Victoria Australia.

Ecology and Evolution

|May 19, 2026

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Theoretical models of reproductive efficiency, specifically fitness gain curves and the Shaw-Mohler equation, have shortcomings. New modeling approaches are needed to accurately represent the production of reproductive entities and their fitness outcomes.

Keywords:

Shaw‐Mohler equation evolutionarily stable strategy frequency‐dependent selection gain curve local mating competition pollen‐ovule ratio pollination efficiency

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Area of Science:

Evolutionary Biology
Theoretical Ecology

Background:

Reproductive efficiency measures the gap between potential and actual reproductive success.
Existing theoretical models of sex allocation have limitations in defining and measuring reproductive efficiency.

Purpose of the Study:

To identify shortcomings in current theoretical sex allocation models, particularly fitness gain curves and the Shaw-Mohler equation.
To explore how these models fail to accurately represent reproductive efficiency.

Main Methods:

Analysis of theoretical sex allocation models, focusing on fitness gain curves and the Shaw-Mohler equation.
Examination of the relationship between pollination efficiency and pollen-ovule ratios in plants as a case study.

Main Results:

Fitness gain curves do not account for the production of reproductive entities, thus failing to measure efficiency.
The application of gain curves in the Shaw-Mohler equation can lead to biologically impossible outcomes, such as unequal aggregate success for males and females.

Conclusions:

Current theoretical frameworks for sex allocation require revision to properly incorporate reproductive efficiency.
New modeling approaches are necessary to accurately link the production of reproductive entities to their fitness outcomes.