Lailvaux Simon P, Husak Jerry F
Department of Biological Sciences, The University of New Orleans, 2000 Lakeshore Drive, New Orleans, LA 70148, USA.
Department of Biology, University of St. Thomas, 2115 Summit Avenue, St Paul, MN 55105, USA.
Integr Comp Biol. 2017 Aug 1;57(2):320-324. doi: 10.1093/icb/icx084.
A strong case can be made for whole-organism performance traits (i.e., dynamic, ecologically relevant traits whose expression is shaped by underlying morphological factors) as being the ultimate integrative traits. This is not only because they capture the output of multiple lower levels of biological organization, but also because they are directly relevant to individual fitness in multiple ecological contexts, and are in many cases important proximate determinants of survival and/or reproductive success. But although many ecological and evolutionary phenomena can be examined through the lens of performance (and vice-versa), performance research has been surprisingly slow to incorporate concepts from the large and important field of life-history evolution. Such a synthesis is necessary, because shifts in resource allocation strategies can have implications for these highly ecologically relevant, functional traits, whose expression may trade-off against fecundity, immune function, or longevity, among other key life-history traits. The papers in this symposium showcase many of the ways in which life-history strategies can have direct consequences for the expression, maintenance, and evolution of whole-organism performance (and at least one case where they may not). By approaching the issue of life-history trade-offs from a number of diverse perspectives, this symposium reveals the scope for future explicit integration of life-history techniques with those of whole-organism performance studies for a more complete understanding of multivariate phenotypic evolution.
可以有力地证明，作为最终的综合性状，全生物体性能性状（即动态的、与生态相关的性状，其表达受潜在形态因素的影响）是合理的。这不仅是因为它们捕捉了多个较低生物组织层次的输出，还因为它们在多种生态环境中与个体适应性直接相关，而且在许多情况下是生存和/或繁殖成功的重要直接决定因素。但是，尽管许多生态和进化现象可以通过性能的视角来研究（反之亦然），但性能研究在纳入生命史进化这个庞大且重要领域的概念方面却出奇地缓慢。这样的综合是必要的，因为资源分配策略的转变可能会对这些高度与生态相关的功能性状产生影响，这些性状的表达可能会在繁殖力、免疫功能或寿命等其他关键生命史性状之间进行权衡。本次研讨会的论文展示了生命史策略对全生物体性能的表达、维持和进化产生直接影响的多种方式（以及至少一个可能没有影响的案例）。通过从多个不同角度探讨生命史权衡问题，本次研讨会揭示了未来将生命史技术与全生物体性能研究明确整合以更全面理解多变量表型进化的空间。
