A long postreproductive life span is a shared trait among genetically distinct killer whale populations
Abstract The extended female postreproductive life span found in humans and some toothed whales remains an evolutionary puzzle. Theory predicts demographic patterns resulting in increased female relatedness with age (kinship dynamics) can select for a prolonged postreproductive life span due to the...
Published in: | Ecology and Evolution |
---|---|
Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , |
Other Authors: | |
Format: | Article in Journal/Newspaper |
Language: | English |
Published: |
Wiley
2021
|
Subjects: | |
Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/ece3.7756 https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/ece3.7756 https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full-xml/10.1002/ece3.7756 |
id |
crwiley:10.1002/ece3.7756 |
---|---|
record_format |
openpolar |
spelling |
crwiley:10.1002/ece3.7756 2024-06-02T08:09:51+00:00 A long postreproductive life span is a shared trait among genetically distinct killer whale populations Nielsen, Mia Lybkær Kronborg Ellis, Samuel Towers, Jared R. Doniol‐Valcroze, Thomas Franks, Daniel W. Cant, Michael A. Weiss, Michael N. Johnstone, Rufus A. Balcomb, Kenneth C. Ellifrit, David K. Croft, Darren P. Natural Environment Research Council 2021 http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/ece3.7756 https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/ece3.7756 https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full-xml/10.1002/ece3.7756 en eng Wiley http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Ecology and Evolution volume 11, issue 13, page 9123-9136 ISSN 2045-7758 2045-7758 journal-article 2021 crwiley https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.7756 2024-05-03T11:43:53Z Abstract The extended female postreproductive life span found in humans and some toothed whales remains an evolutionary puzzle. Theory predicts demographic patterns resulting in increased female relatedness with age (kinship dynamics) can select for a prolonged postreproductive life span due to the combined costs of intergenerational reproductive conflict and benefits of late‐life helping. Here, we test this prediction using >40 years of longitudinal demographic data from the sympatric yet genetically distinct killer whale ecotypes: resident and Bigg's killer whales. The female relatedness with age is predicted to increase in both ecotypes, but with a less steep increase in Bigg's due to their different social structure. Here, we show that there is a significant postreproductive life span in both ecotypes with >30% of adult female years being lived as postreproductive, supporting the general prediction that an increase in local relatedness with age predisposes the evolution of a postreproductive life span. Differences in the magnitude of kinship dynamics however did not influence the timing or duration of the postreproductive life span with females in both ecotypes terminating reproduction before their mid‐40s followed by an expected postreproductive period of about 20 years. Our results highlight the important role of kinship dynamics in the evolution of a long postreproductive life span in long‐lived mammals, while further implying that the timing of menopause may be a robust trait that is persistent despite substantial variation in demographic patterns among populations. Article in Journal/Newspaper Killer Whale toothed whales Killer whale Wiley Online Library Ecology and Evolution |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Wiley Online Library |
op_collection_id |
crwiley |
language |
English |
description |
Abstract The extended female postreproductive life span found in humans and some toothed whales remains an evolutionary puzzle. Theory predicts demographic patterns resulting in increased female relatedness with age (kinship dynamics) can select for a prolonged postreproductive life span due to the combined costs of intergenerational reproductive conflict and benefits of late‐life helping. Here, we test this prediction using >40 years of longitudinal demographic data from the sympatric yet genetically distinct killer whale ecotypes: resident and Bigg's killer whales. The female relatedness with age is predicted to increase in both ecotypes, but with a less steep increase in Bigg's due to their different social structure. Here, we show that there is a significant postreproductive life span in both ecotypes with >30% of adult female years being lived as postreproductive, supporting the general prediction that an increase in local relatedness with age predisposes the evolution of a postreproductive life span. Differences in the magnitude of kinship dynamics however did not influence the timing or duration of the postreproductive life span with females in both ecotypes terminating reproduction before their mid‐40s followed by an expected postreproductive period of about 20 years. Our results highlight the important role of kinship dynamics in the evolution of a long postreproductive life span in long‐lived mammals, while further implying that the timing of menopause may be a robust trait that is persistent despite substantial variation in demographic patterns among populations. |
author2 |
Natural Environment Research Council |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Nielsen, Mia Lybkær Kronborg Ellis, Samuel Towers, Jared R. Doniol‐Valcroze, Thomas Franks, Daniel W. Cant, Michael A. Weiss, Michael N. Johnstone, Rufus A. Balcomb, Kenneth C. Ellifrit, David K. Croft, Darren P. |
spellingShingle |
Nielsen, Mia Lybkær Kronborg Ellis, Samuel Towers, Jared R. Doniol‐Valcroze, Thomas Franks, Daniel W. Cant, Michael A. Weiss, Michael N. Johnstone, Rufus A. Balcomb, Kenneth C. Ellifrit, David K. Croft, Darren P. A long postreproductive life span is a shared trait among genetically distinct killer whale populations |
author_facet |
Nielsen, Mia Lybkær Kronborg Ellis, Samuel Towers, Jared R. Doniol‐Valcroze, Thomas Franks, Daniel W. Cant, Michael A. Weiss, Michael N. Johnstone, Rufus A. Balcomb, Kenneth C. Ellifrit, David K. Croft, Darren P. |
author_sort |
Nielsen, Mia Lybkær Kronborg |
title |
A long postreproductive life span is a shared trait among genetically distinct killer whale populations |
title_short |
A long postreproductive life span is a shared trait among genetically distinct killer whale populations |
title_full |
A long postreproductive life span is a shared trait among genetically distinct killer whale populations |
title_fullStr |
A long postreproductive life span is a shared trait among genetically distinct killer whale populations |
title_full_unstemmed |
A long postreproductive life span is a shared trait among genetically distinct killer whale populations |
title_sort |
long postreproductive life span is a shared trait among genetically distinct killer whale populations |
publisher |
Wiley |
publishDate |
2021 |
url |
http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/ece3.7756 https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/ece3.7756 https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full-xml/10.1002/ece3.7756 |
genre |
Killer Whale toothed whales Killer whale |
genre_facet |
Killer Whale toothed whales Killer whale |
op_source |
Ecology and Evolution volume 11, issue 13, page 9123-9136 ISSN 2045-7758 2045-7758 |
op_rights |
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.7756 |
container_title |
Ecology and Evolution |
_version_ |
1800755635582664704 |