Cost of Reproduction in Nature: An Experimental Test

[307999 . 99]在当前繁殖中投入的能量的增加被认为需要“成本”，这些成本要么反映在存活率的降低上，要么反映在未来繁殖成功率的降低上。我们在蜥蜴的自然种群中设计了一个实验来测试这些想法。通过实验性地使用激素治疗来增加一窝卵的数量，我们应该会加剧这些成本，降低存活率或未来的繁殖成功率。一种补充性的操作方法是减少每窝蛋的产卵数量，这样可以降低这些成本，提高存活率或未来的繁殖成功率。因为控制繁殖的激素在脊椎动物（如爬行动物、哺乳动物、鸟类、鱼类）中相对保守，我们的结果可能是相当普遍的。因此，这些结果将与国内畜牧业（如水产养殖、鸟类饲养等）相关，这些结果理论上可用于实现此类农业计划的产量最大化

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.***