Growth, Foraging and Reproductive Success

Abstract

The life history of any animal is greatly influenced by three factors (Stearns 1976): the need to grow and reach maturity, the need to feed in order to accumulate the energy necessary for growth, and finally, the need to reproduce. Reproduction is often seasonal, and often the reproductive success depends greatly on body size and physical fitness (Thornhill and Alcock 1983). Hence, the effectiveness of foraging, the efficiency of growth and the timing of maturation all directly affect reproductive fitness. Accordingly, we would expect natural selection to have sharpened the animal’s process of making optimal decisions regarding foraging and growth.