Adaptive Prolonged Postreproductive Life Span in Killer Whales
Adaptive Prolonged Postreproductive Life Span in Killer Whales
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DOI：
10.1126/science.1224198
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发表时间：
2012-09-14
期刊：
影响因子：
56.9
通讯作者：
Croft, Darren P.
中科院分区：
文献类型：
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作者：
Foster, Emma A.;Franks, Daniel W.;Croft, Darren P.
繁殖后寿命的延长很难从进化上解释，除非它是作为寿命延长的生理副作用出现的，或者它对相关个体有益（即，增加了整体适应性）。几乎没有证据表明非人类动物的生殖期后寿命具有适应性。通过对两种虎鲸（Orcinus orca）种群的多代记录（雌性虎鲸在最后一次分娩后可以活几十年），我们发现，生育能力较强的母亲增加了后代的存活率，尤其是它们年长的雄性后代。这一发现或许可以解释为什么雌性虎鲸在所有非人类动物中进化出了最长的生殖后寿命。
Prolonged life after reproduction is difficult to explain evolutionarily unless it arises as a physiological side effect of increased longevity or it benefits related individuals (i.e., increases inclusive fitness). There is little evidence that postreproductive life spans are adaptive in nonhuman animals. By using multigenerational records for two killer whale (Orcinus orca) populations in which females can live for decades after their final parturition, we show that postreproductive mothers increase the survival of offspring, particularly their older male offspring. This finding may explain why female killer whales have evolved the longest postreproductive life span of all nonhuman animals.