The Effect of Manipulated Prenatal Conditions on Growth, Survival, and Reproduction Throughout the Complete Life Course of a Precocial Bird

The quality of the environment individuals experience during development is commonly regarded as very influential on performance in later life. However, studies that have experimentally manipulated early-life and subsequently measured individual all components fitness over complete life course are scarce. In this study, we incubated fertile eggs Japanese quail ( Coturnix japonica ) at substandard standard incubation temperature, monitored growth, survival, reproduction throughout course. While embryonic was slower hatching success tended to be lower under prenatal treatment had no effect post-hatching survival sexual maturity, or age first reproduction. adulthood, body mass investment egg peaked middle age, irrespective treatment. Individual rate declined soon after its onset, higher females lived longer. Yet, reproduction, senescence, were independent Similarly, adult lifespan not affected. Hence, did find evidence for effects beyond developmental period manipulated. Our results suggest unfavorable conditions could negligible some circumstances.