Open AccessVirgins in the vanguard: low reproductive frequency in invasion‐front cane toads
Author(s) -
Hudson Cameron M.,
Phillips Benjamin L.,
Brown Gregory P.,
Shine Richard
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
biological journal of the linnean society
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.906
H-Index - 112
eISSN - 1095-8312
pISSN - 0024-4066
DOI - 10.1111/bij.12618
Subject(s) - biology , biological dispersal , vanguard , range (aeronautics) , ecology , reproductive success , reproduction , population , front (military) , demography , oceanography , geography , materials science , archaeology , sociology , geology , composite material
The rapid evolution of increased dispersal rate during a population's range expansion provides a unique opportunity to detect trade‐offs between dispersal and reproduction. If a high reproductive rate slows down an individual's dispersal, vanguard individuals should exhibit a lower reproductive output than conspecifics from long‐colonized areas. In the present study, we demonstrate a reduction in reproductive rate in highly dispersive invasion‐front populations of cane toads in tropical Australia.