Synonyms
Definition
A reproductive strategy characterized by multiple reproductive cycles over the course of a lifetime.
Introduction
The term iteroparity refers to a reproductive strategy characterized by multiple reproductive cycles over the course of a lifetime and contrasts with semelparity (see “Semelparity”). The iteroparous and semelparous reproductive strategies received special attention in the study of reproductive strategies of species (e.g., Cole 1954; Charnov and Schaffer 1973; Stearns 1976). Both reproductive strategies are observed in the plant and animal kingdoms. Humans (Homo sapiens) are an example of iteroparous species – humans are biologically capable of having several offspring during their lives. Iteroparous vertebrates include birds, reptiles, fishes, and mammals (Angelini and Ghiara 1984). Among invertebrates, most Mollusca and insects (e.g., cockroaches and mosquitoes) present an iteroparous reproductive strategy (e.g., Fritz et al. 1982). Most...
References
Angelini, F., & Ghiara, G. (1984). Reproductive modes and strategies in vertebrate evolution. Italian Journal of Zoology, 51, 121–203.
Charnov, E. L., & Schaffer, W. M. (1973). Life-history consequences of natural selection: Cole’s result revisited. The American Naturalist, 107, 791–793.
Cole, L. C. (1954). The population consequences of life history phenomena. The Quarterly Review of Biology, 29, 103–137.
Fox, C. W., & Rauter, C. M. (2003). Bet-hedging and the evolution of multiple mating. Evolutionary Ecology Research, 5, 273–286.
Fritz, R. S., Stamp, N. E., & Halverson, T. G. (1982). Iteroparity and semelparity in insects. The American Naturalist, 120, 264–268.
Jones, J. H. (2009). The force of selection on the human life cycle. Evolution and Human Behavior, 30, 305–314.
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Stearns, S. C. (1976). Life-history tactics: A review of the ideas. Quarterly Review of Biology, 51, 3–47.
Watkinson, A. R., & White, J. (1986). Some life-history consequences of modular construction in plants. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London B: Biological Sciences, 313, 31–51.
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Lopes, G.S. (2018). Iteroparity. In: Shackelford, T., Weekes-Shackelford, V. (eds) Encyclopedia of Evolutionary Psychological Science. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-16999-6_2061-1
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-16999-6_2061-1
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