Stages of Age-Related Reproductive Success in Birds: Simultaneous Effects of Age, Pair-Bond Duration andReproductive Experience

摘要

SYNOPSIS. Most organisms reproduce episodically rather than continuously. Forms of discontinuity may include seasonal breeding in annual cycles, and delayed breeding and/or senescence over the lifespan of individuals. In addition, age can have profound effects on the annual reproductive success (RS) of a wide variety of animals. Explanations of the effects of age on RS can be confounded, however, by the acquired breeding experience of individuals, and the duration of pair-bonds, both of which have effects on RS similar to those of age itself. However, most studies of the effects of age on RS prior to senescence have not accounted for the effects of pair-bond duration, and many have treated age and experience as synonyms. In this paper I summarize the effects of all three factors, discuss the simultaneous and interrelated nature of their effects, and suggest ways to separate the relative contributions of each.