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The Determination of Clutch Size in Precocial Birds

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Current Ornithology

Part of the book series: Current Ornithology ((CUOR,volume 1))

Abstract

The evolution and regulation of clutch size has long been a central issue in ornithology. Early ornithologists realized that females of each species of bird lay a characteristic number of eggs, and we have been trying to determine ever since why this is so. In pursuit of the answer to this seemingly simple question, ornithologists have not only accumulated a wealth of egg data, but also have made important contributions to such diverse topics as life-history strategies, population regulation and group selection. Yet how clutch size is determined remains a controversial issue. The consensus that was once sought in the form of a central theory (Lack, 1968; Cody, 1966; Klomp, 1970; von Haartman, 1971) has disappeared in a sea of specific hypotheses. In this review we attempt to organize and summarize clutch size theories as they emerge in modified form from recent research and evaluate their ability to explain observed patterns in clutch size variation. We concentrate on the literature and concepts published since the review of Klomp (1970), but we incorporate earlier work when necessary.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Museum of Vertebrate Zoology and Department of Zoology, University of California, Berkeley, California, 94720, USA

    David W. Winkler

  2. Department of Zoology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, 27607, USA

    Jeffrey R. Walters

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  1. David W. Winkler
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  2. Jeffrey R. Walters
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  1. University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas, USA

    Richard F. Johnston

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© 1983 Plenum Press, New York

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Winkler, D.W., Walters, J.R. (1983). The Determination of Clutch Size in Precocial Birds. In: Johnston, R.F. (eds) Current Ornithology. Current Ornithology, vol 1. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-6781-3_2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-6781-3_2

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