Temperature, Growth Rate, and Body Size in Ectotherms: Fitting Pieces of a Life-History Puzzle

The majority of ectotherms grow slower but mature at a larger body size in colder environments. This phenomenon has puzzled biologists because classic theories of life-history evolution predict smaller sizes at maturity in environments that retard growth. During the last decade, intensive theoretica...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Integrative and comparative biology 2004-12, Vol.44 (6), p.498-509
Main Authors: Angilletta, Michael J., Steury, Todd D., Sears, Michael W.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Age
Anabolism
Biology
Body size
Body temperature
Catabolism
Ecological life histories
Evolution
Evolution of Thermal Reaction Norms for Growth Rate and Body Size in Ectotherms
Mortality
Temperature effects
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Summary:The majority of ectotherms grow slower but mature at a larger body size in colder environments. This phenomenon has puzzled biologists because classic theories of life-history evolution predict smaller sizes at maturity in environments that retard growth. During the last decade, intensive theoretical and empirical research has generated some plausible explanations based on nonadaptive or adaptive plasticity. Nonadaptive plasticity of body size is hypothesized to result from thermal constraints on cellular growth that cause smaller cells at higher temperatures, but the generality of this theory is poorly supported. Adaptive plasticity is hypothesized to result from greater benefits or lesser costs of delayed maturation in colder environments. These theories seem to apply well to some species but not others. Thus, no single theory has been able to explain the generality of temperature-size relationships in ectotherms. We recommend a multivariate theory that focuses on the coevolution of thermal reaction norms for growth rate and size at maturity. Such a theory should incorporate functional constraints on thermal reaction norms, as well as the natural covariation between temperature and other environmental variables.
ISSN:1540-7063
1557-7023
DOI:10.1093/icb/44.6.498