Cost of Reproduction in Nature: An Experimental Test

小行星9307999 人们认为，在当前繁殖中投入的能量的增加会带来：“成本”，这要么反映在生存率的下降，要么反映在未来繁殖成功率的下降。 我们设计了一个实验测试这些想法在蜥蜴的自然种群。 通过实验性地使用激素治疗来增加离合器中的卵子数量，我们应该加剧这些成本并降低生存率或未来的繁殖成功率。 一个补充的操作，减少每窝产卵的数量，应该改善这些成本，提高生存或未来的繁殖成功。 因为控制生殖的激素在脊椎动物中相对保守（例如， 爬行动物，哺乳动物，鸟类，鱼类），我们的结果可能相当普遍。 因此，这些结果将与国内畜牧业（如水产养殖，鸟类饲养等）有关。理论上，这些结果可以用来最大限度地提高此类农业项目的产量。

9307999 Sinervo An increase of energy invested in current reproduction is thought to entail :costs" that are either reflected in a decrease in survival or a decrease in future reproductive success. We have devised an experimental test of these ideas in a natural population of lizards. By experimentally enhancing the number of eggs in a clutch using a hormonal treatment, we should exacerbate those costs and decrease survival or future reproductive success. A complementary manipulation that decreases the number of eggs laid in each clutch should ameliorate these costs and enhance survival or future reproductive success. Because the hormones that control reproduction are relatively conserved among vertebrates (e.g., reptiles, mammals, birds, fish), our results are likely to be quite general. Consequently, these results will be relevant to domestic animal husbandry (e.g. aquaculture, bird rearing, etc.) and these results could theoretically be used to maximize yield in such agricultural programs.***