Natural selection has led to the size or age specific reproductive patterns that we observe today and still acts to mould them to their ecological and social environment. An evolutionary framework is therefore indispensable for the study of animal ecology. We study life history strategies by comparisonbetween species (Why do some species migrate and others not? Why are some species multiple breeders and others not?) but also within species through quantifying selection pressures acting on the system where possible through an experimental approach. The latter approach has specifically been used to study reproductive decisions in terms of the intensity of reproduction and sex allocation (what fitness difference does it make if reproductive investment is enlarged or sex-ratio of the offspring is changed, see evolution of reproduction and sexual selection). In more general terms all our work is embedded in evolutionary thinking.
Last modified:
August 02, 2011 11:09
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Shellfish dredging pushes a flexible avian top predator out of a marine protected area
