Giving offspring a head start in life: field and experimental evidence for selection on maternal basking behaviour in lizards.

Journal article

The timing of birth is often correlated with offspring fitness in animals, but experimental studies that disentangle direct effects of parturition date and indirect effects mediated via variation in female traits are rare. In viviparous ectotherms, parturition date is largely driven by female thermal conditions, particularly maternal basking strategies. Our field and laboratory studies of a viviparous lizard (Niveoscincus ocellatus) show that earlier-born offspring are more likely to survive ...

Expand abstract

Authors: Wapstra, E; Uller, T; While, G; Olsson, M; Shine, R

• Publication status: Published
• Journal: Journal of evolutionary biology
• Volume: 23
• Issue: 3
• Pages: 651-657
• Publication date: 2010-03-01
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1420-9101.2009.01924.x
• EISSN: 1420-9101
• ISSN: 1010-061X
• Language: English
• Keywords: Lizards; Selection, Genetic; Male; Animals, Newborn; Female; Maternal Behavior; Behavior, Animal; Body Temperature Regulation; Animals