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Adaptations to marine environments and the evolution of slow-paced life histories in endotherms

Author

Listed:
  • Daniel Sol

    (Institute of Evolutionary Biology (CSIC-UPF)
    Centre for Ecological Research and Applied Forestries; Cerdanyola del Vallès)

  • Antón Prego

    (Av. Diagonal 643)

  • Laura Olivé

    (Centre for Ecological Research and Applied Forestries; Cerdanyola del Vallès)

  • Meritxell Genovart

    (Centre d’Estudis Avançats de Blanes (CEAB-CSIC); Blanes)

  • Daniel Oro

    (Centre d’Estudis Avançats de Blanes (CEAB-CSIC); Blanes)

  • Antonio Hernández-Matías

    (Av. Diagonal 643)

Abstract

All organisms face a certain risk of dying before reproducing, putting strong pressure on individuals to reproduce as early as possible. Despite this, some organisms delay maturity, defer reproduction, and age slowly. The evolution of such slow-paced life is classically attributed to allometric effects and reduced extrinsic mortality, but might also result from the invasion of challenging environments requiring adaptations that boost adult survival yet impose substantial energetic and developmental costs. Here, we reveal that the invasion of marine environments by endotherms may have triggered adaptive shifts towards slow life histories, particularly in pelagic lineages. Such life history convergences may have been facilitated by the slow-paced nature of their non-marine ancestors, and were associated with adaptations for enhanced energy acquisition and storage, enabling a long reproductive lifespan at the expense of extended development. Ancestral traits and lifestyle changes might thus have been important in shaping the evolution of slow life histories.

Suggested Citation

  • Daniel Sol & Antón Prego & Laura Olivé & Meritxell Genovart & Daniel Oro & Antonio Hernández-Matías, 2025. "Adaptations to marine environments and the evolution of slow-paced life histories in endotherms," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 16(1), pages 1-12, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:16:y:2025:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-025-59273-5
    DOI: 10.1038/s41467-025-59273-5
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Ferran Sayol & Philip A. Downing & Andrew N. Iwaniuk & Joan Maspons & Daniel Sol, 2018. "Predictable evolution towards larger brains in birds colonizing oceanic islands," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 9(1), pages 1-7, December.
    2. Pingfen Zhu & Weiqiang Liu & Xiaoxiao Zhang & Meng Li & Gaoming Liu & Yang Yu & Zihao Li & Xuanjing Li & Juan Du & Xiao Wang & Cyril C. Grueter & Ming Li & Xuming Zhou, 2023. "Correlated evolution of social organization and lifespan in mammals," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-18, December.
    3. Catherine Sheard & Montague H. C. Neate-Clegg & Nico Alioravainen & Samuel E. I. Jones & Claire Vincent & Hannah E. A. MacGregor & Tom P. Bregman & Santiago Claramunt & Joseph A. Tobias, 2020. "Ecological drivers of global gradients in avian dispersal inferred from wing morphology," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 11(1), pages 1-9, December.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

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