Abstract
Clutch size, longevity, and body mass data for 54 North American game birds were extracted from the literature to test the hypothesis that a trade-off exists between fecundity and survival among avian species. Species with larger clutch sizes live shorter lives than species with smaller clutch sizes (r = −0.38, n = 54, P < 0.01). This relationship still holds when the effects of body mass are removed (r = −0.34, 51 df, P < 0.05), indicating that the relationship is not simply a function of body mass. This latter finding is inconsistent with previous life-history studies, perhaps because previous researchers did not attempt to remove body mass effects from their life-history investigations. Results are similar (P < 0.05) when mean values of life-history traits are examined at the generic level. However, no relationships (P > 0.05) among mean values of life-history traits occur at any taxonomic level higher than genus or when species are grouped with respect to feeding habits. This might be the result of low sample size. I conclude that the evolution of clutch size is influenced by longevity, or vice versa, among species and genera of North American game birds.
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