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Between-year variation in determinants of offspring survival in the Sand Lizard, Lacerta agilis

  1. M. Olsson1,2,†,
  2. T. Madsen2

Article first published online: 20 DEC 2001

DOI: 10.1046/j.0269-8463.2001.00544.x

Issue

Functional Ecology

Functional Ecology

Volume 15, Issue 4, pages 443–450, August 2001

Additional Information

How to Cite

Olsson, M. and Madsen, T. (2001), Between-year variation in determinants of offspring survival in the Sand Lizard, Lacerta agilis. Functional Ecology, 15: 443–450. doi: 10.1046/j.0269-8463.2001.00544.x

Author Information

  1. 1

    Department of Zoology, University of Gothenburg, PO Box 463, SE 405 30 Gothenburg, Sweden and

  2. 2

    University of Sydney, School of Biological Sciences, Zoology Building AO8, NSW 2006, Australia

  1. †

    Author to whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: mats.olsson@zool.gu.se

Publication History

  1. Issue published online: 20 DEC 2001
  2. Article first published online: 20 DEC 2001

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Keywords:

  • Female reproductive success;
  • fluctuating selection;
  • size–number trade-off

Summary

  • 1
     Life-history theory predicts that clutch size and offspring size should evolve to an optimal offspring size vs number (OSN) equilibrium.
  • 2
     Offspring size in Swedish Sand Lizards (Lacerta agilis) decreases up to 60% during a female’s life with a concomitant increase in clutch size; why do female Sand Lizards not produce an offspring of approximately equal size through life, while adjusting clutch size in accordance with available resources?
  • 3
     Our results show that there is year-to-year variation in what factors determine female reproductive success, estimated by the number or proportion of recruits into the second year cohort.
  • 4
     In a year with relatively poor female growth rate, poor female condition and probably relatively low potential for resource acquisition, females mating with many partners did relatively better than females mating with fewer partners.
  • 5
     In the poor year, relatively larger offspring survived better than smaller ones.
  • 6
     In a year with relatively high resource levels, females producing both relatively large young and large clutches were favoured by selection.
  • 7
     Depending on environmental conditions, female ‘optimal tactics’ may differ between episodes of selection.
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