| 1. |
- Neuheimer, Anna B., et al.
(author)
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Adult and offspring size in the ocean : a database of size metrics and conversion factors
- 2016
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In: Ecology. - : John Wiley & Sons. - 0012-9658 .- 1939-9170. ; 97:4, s. 1-1
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The purpose of this dataset was to compile adult and offspring size estimates for marine organisms. Adult and offspring size estimates of 408 species were compiled from the literature covering >17 orders of magnitude in body mass and including Cephalopoda (ink fish), Cnidaria ("jelly" fish), Crustaceans, Ctenophora (comb jellies), Elasmobranchii (cartilaginous fish), Mammalia (mammals), Sagittoidea (arrow worms) and Teleost (i.e., Actinopterygii, bony fish). Individual size estimates were converted to standardized size estimates (carbon weight, g) to allow for among-group comparisons. This required a number of size estimates to be converted and a compilation of conversion factors obtained from the literature are also presented.
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| 2. |
- Neuheimer, Anna B., et al.
(author)
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Adult and offspring size in the ocean over 17 orders of magnitude follows two life history strategies
- 2015
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In: Ecology. - : John Wiley & Sons. - 0012-9658 .- 1939-9170. ; 96:12, s. 3303-3311
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Explaining variability in offspring vs. adult size among groups is a necessary step to determine the evolutionary and environmental constraints shaping variability in life history strategies. This is of particularly interest for life in the ocean where a diversity of offspring development strategies is observed along with variability in physical and biological forcing factors in space and time. We compiled adult and offspring size for 408 pelagic marine species covering >17 orders of magnitude in body mass including Cephalopoda, Cnidaria, Crustaceans, Ctenophora, Elasmobranchii, Mammalia, Sagittoidea, and Teleost. We find marine life following one of two distinct strategies, with offspring size being either proportional to adult size (e.g. Crustaceans, Euratatoria, Elasmobranchii and Mammalia) or invariant with adult size (e.g. Cephalopoda, Cnidaria, Sagittoidea, Teleosts and possibly Ctenophora). We discuss where these two strategies occur and how these patterns (along with the relative size of the offspring) may be shaped by physical and biological constraints in the organism's environment. This adaptive environment along with the evolutionary history of the different groups shape observed life history strategies and possible group-specific responses to changing environmental conditions (e.g. production and distribution).
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