Carry-over effects as drivers of fitness differences in animals

1. Carry-over effects occur when processes in one season influence the success of an individual in the following season. This phenomenon has the potential to explain a large amount of variation in individual fitness, but so far has only been described in a limited number of species. This is largely due to difficulties associated with tracking individuals between periods of the annual cycle, but also because of a lack of research specifically designed to examine hypotheses related to carry-over effects. 2. We review the known mechanisms that drive carry-over effects, most notably macronutrient supply, and highlight the types of life histories and ecological situations where we would expect them to most often…

• SR
  Sight Research UK

  Award: NE/F021690/1
• NE
  Natural Environment Research Council

  Award: NE/F021690/1