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Gender differences in lifespan and mortality rates in two seed beetle species

  1. C. W. Fox*,
  2. L. Dublin,
  3. S. J. Pollitt

Article first published online: 29 SEP 2003

DOI: 10.1046/j.1365-2435.2003.00781.x

Issue

Functional Ecology

Functional Ecology

Volume 17, Issue 5, pages 619–626, October 2003

Additional Information

How to Cite

Fox, C. W., Dublin, L. and Pollitt, S. J. (2003), Gender differences in lifespan and mortality rates in two seed beetle species. Functional Ecology, 17: 619–626. doi: 10.1046/j.1365-2435.2003.00781.x

Author Information

  1. Department of Entomology, S-225 Agricultural Science Center North, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40546–0091, USA

* Charles W. Fox, Department of Entomology, S-225 Agricultural Science Center North, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40546–0091, Tel.: 859-257-7472, Fax: 859-323-1120, E-mail: cfox@uky.edu
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.

Publication History

  1. Issue published online: 29 SEP 2003
  2. Article first published online: 29 SEP 2003
  3. Received 5 February 2003; revised 29 April 2003; accepted 9 May 2003

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Keywords:

  • Ageing;
  • body size;
  • longevity;
  • senescence;
  • sexual dimorphism

Summary

  • 1
    In most animals, females live longer than males, and large individuals live longer than small individuals. We examine both gender and body size effects on adult lifespan in two species of seed beetles (Callosobruchus maculatus and Stator limbatus), and test whether body size differences between males and females can explain gender-differences in mortality rates and lifespan.
  • 2
    In both species, the effect of age on mortality rate was best described by a logistic mortality curve. C. maculatus females have a higher initial mortality rate than males, while males have a much higher rate of increase of the mortality rate with increasing age. In contrast, S. limbatus males had a higher initial mortality rate (opposite to the pattern seen in C. maculatus) but males and females did not differ in the rate of increase of mortality with increasing age.
  • 3
    Body size was positively correlated with lifespan in both species, but it explained very little of the variance in lifespan (R2 < 0·09 for both species) and did not explain the gender difference.
  • 4
    Lifespan was heritable for both genders of both populations (h2 between 0·19 and 0·55), and the shape of the mortality curves varied among families within both species.
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