One big, and many small reasons that direct selection on offspring number is still open for discussion.
In a recent paper, I proposed that natural selection should act to increase offspring number when diversification bet hedging is favoured. The simple underlying reasoning is that a target diversification strategy is more reliably generated with increasing sample size. The intention of opening a discussion has been realized; recent criticisms of the idea argue that selection does not act to increase offspring number when population size is large or infinite. Here I agree that criticisms have merit; indeed they are largely confined to the caveats discussed in my original paper. The critique, however, implies a verdict of outright rejection of the idea of selection on offspring number, which would be erroneous. Contrary to the assertions of the criticism, then, the importance of selection acting directly on offspring number remains an open question.
Simons
A M
AM
Department of Biology, Carleton University, Ottawa, ON, Canada. asimons@connect.carleton.ca
D052284:Clutch Size; D004777:Environment; D008957:Models, Genetic; D011156:Population Density; D012098:Reproduction / Q000235:genetics*; D012641:Selection, Genetic