Abstract
Ontogenetic differences among closely related species can be viewed either in terms of selection on morphology, or in terms of shifts in the timing of developmental events. A quantitative genetic analysis of growth from hatching in one species of Darwin's ground finch, Geospiza fortis, reveals (1) the presence of maternal effects influencing offspring size for the first few days after hatching; (2) high genetic correlations between adult and chick size from age day 3 onward; and (3) the presence of among-brood variance in shape from hatching onward. Selection on adult morphology is expected to produce strongly correlated responses of chick morphology. Geospiza species differ in size and shape at hatching and in relative growth rates of characters. These differences can be largely explained as arising from correlated responses to selection on adults.
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