Is there a trade-off between energetics and spleen mass? A quantitative genetic study in the leaf-eared mouse

BACIGALUPE LD, RF NESPOLO, DM BUSTAMANTE & F BOZINOVIC

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article publicada [Micromamíferos]

BACIGALUPE LD, RF NESPOLO, DM BUSTAMANTE & F BOZINOVIC (2005) Is there a trade-off between energetics and spleen mass? A quantitative genetic study in the leaf-eared mouse. Evolutionary Ecology Research 7(3): 497-503.

Abstract

Question: Is there a microevolutionary trade-off between energetics and spleen mass?
Hypothesis: A negative genetic correlation between energetics and spleen mass would indicate a trade-off.
Methods: We carried out a quantitative genetic study in cold-acclimated individuals of the leaf-eared mouse, Phyllotis darwini.
Conclusions: Our results (1) do not support a microevolutionary trade-off between spleen mass and energetic traits, and (2) do not provide evidence that spleen mass can respond to current natural selection.