title: A multivariate analysis of genetic constraints to life history evolution in a wild population of red deer.
abstract: Evolutionary theory predicts that genetic constraints should be widespread, but empirical support for their existence is surprisingly rare. Commonly applied univariate and bivariate approaches to detecting genetic constraints can underestimate their prevalence, with important aspects potentially tractable only within a multivariate framework. However, multivariate genetic analyses of data from natural populations are challenging because of modest sample sizes, incomplete pedigrees, and missing data. Here we present results from a study of a comprehensive set of life history traits (juvenile survival, age at first breeding, annual fecundity, and longevity) for both males and females in a wild, pedigreed, population of red deer (Cervus elaphus). We use factor analytic modeling of the genetic variance-covariance matrix ( G: ) to reduce the dimensionality of the problem and take a multivariate approach to estimating genetic constraints. We consider a range of metrics designed to assess the effect of G: on the deflection of a predicted response to selection away from the direction of fastest adaptation and on the evolvability of the traits. We found limited support for genetic constraint through genetic covariances between traits, both within sex and between sexes. We discuss these results with respect to other recent findings and to the problems of estimating these parameters for natural populations.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Evolutionary Biology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH9 3JT, United Kingdom craig.walling@ed.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Craig A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Walling
authors.affiliation: School of Biology, University of St. Andrews, St. Andrews, KY16 9TH, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Michael B
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Morrissey
authors.affiliation: Institute for Evolution and Ecology, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, D-72076 Germany.
authors.forename: Katharina
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Foerster
authors.affiliation: Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 3EJ, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Tim H
authors.initials: TH
authors.lastname: Clutton-Brock
authors.affiliation: Institute of Evolutionary Biology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH9 3JT, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Josephine M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Pemberton
authors.affiliation: Institute of Evolutionary Biology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH9 3JT, United Kingdom Division of Evolution, Ecology, and Genetics, Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 0200, Australia.
authors.forename: Loeske E B
authors.initials: LE
authors.lastname: Kruuk
mesh_terms: D000465:Algorithms; D000818:Animals; D003670:Deer / Q000235:genetics*; D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D005260:Female; D056084:Genetic Fitness; D014644:Genetic Variation; D005828:Genetics, Population; D008297:Male; D008957:Models, Genetic; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D019655:Quantitative Trait, Heritable; D012641:Selection, Genetic; D012737:Sex Factors
keywords: genetic correlations; heritability; life history trade-off; selection; sexual antagonism