Abstract
Abstract. The age of dispersers is one of the important factors influencing the ecology and evolution of dispersal. Explanations in textbooks assume special social or genetic advantages to predict the dispersing age class. However, recent theoretical results suggest that age specific dispersal can evolve even without special advantages for the dispersing age class. Here we discuss and interpret these results on the basis of the invasion fitness concept and show with general arguments that the evolution of age specific dispersal is possible for purely demographic reasons. This furthers our general understanding of the evolution of age specific dispersal.
Highlights
The age of dispersers is one of the important factors influencing the ecology and evolution of dispersal
Vertebrate ecologists divide dispersal into natal and breeding dispersal to characterise the age of dispersers
Natal dispersal describes the dispersal of juveniles from the site of birth to that of first potential reproduction, whereas the movement of adults between sites is termed breeding dispersal (Greenwood and Harvey 1982)
Summary
Evolution of age specific dispersal: a general discussion from the standpoint of the invasion fitness concept. We discuss and interpret these results on the basis of the invasion fitness concept and show with general arguments that the evolution of age specific dispersal is possible for purely demographic reasons. We showed that competitive differences between natal and breeding dispersal can be generated by the age structure of the considered population These results could be explained by basic evolutionary principles of dispersal biology. Johnson and Gaines 1990, McPeek and Holt 1992) In such an environment a high dispersal probability has evolved in our simulation model in the most common age class or across several age classes. The invasion fitness exponent is the central quantity within this concept
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