DOI: 10.5061/dryad.2547d7x5d
title: Data from: Artificial selection for increased reproductive effort accelerates actuarial senescence and reduces lifespan in a precocial bird

description: Life history theory and evolutionary theories of ageing predict that
 trade-offs between reproduction and somatic maintenance shape the
 evolution of ageing and lifespan. However, the significance of these
 trade-offs remains debated, as previous correlational studies have
 produced inconsistent results. Here we used an experimental artificial
 selection approach in a precocial bird, the Japanese quail (Coturnix
 japonica), to directly test this fundamental tenet. We found that
 selection for divergent reproductive effort affected adult survival, with
 shorter lifespans in individuals selected for higher reproductive effort
 compared to individuals selected for lower reproductive effort at
 generations five and six. This difference in lifespan was driven by
 accelerated actuarial senescence rather than changes in baseline
 mortality. No differences in reproductive senescence were observed between
 the selection treatments. Our findings provide experimental evidence that
 vertebrate mortality trajectories can evolve rapidly in response to
 selection and demonstrate that increased reproductive effort is
 intrinsically linked to faster ageing and a shorter lifespan - thereby
 supporting a central tenet of life history and ageing theory.
description: # Data from: Artificial selection for increased reproductive effort
 accelerates actuarial senescence and reduces lifespan in a precocial bird
 Dataset DOI:
 [10.5061/dryad.2547d7x5d](https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.2547d7x5d) ##
 Description of the data and file structure #### File: Survival_all.csv
 **Description:**  Survival data for all birds included in the study. #####
 Variables * ring: individual ID * line: selection line: H - high
 investment, L - low investment * sex: sex of the individual (male or
 female) * replicate: biological replicate of selection lines (replicate 1
 or 2) * tarsus: tarsus length in mm (a measure of body size) *
 cause.death: died naturally (natural death), was euthanised due to health
 or welfare reasons (Euthanised due to health reason) or still alive at the
 end of the study (NA) * time: time from hatching to event (either death or
 end of study) in days * status: 1 = dead, 0 = alive * generation:
 generation of selection treatment (5 or 6) * family: ring number of mother
 #### File: Survival_breedingfemales.csv **Description:**  Survival and
 breeding data for females incuded in the first breeding event. #####
 Variables * ring: individual ID * line: selection line: H - high
 investment, L - low investment * sex: sex of the individual (male or
 female) * replicate: biological replicate of selection lines (replicate 1
 or 2) * tarsus: tarsus length in mm (a measure of body size) *
 Cause.Death: died naturally (natural death), was euthanised due to health
 or welfare reasons (Euthanised due to health reason) or still alive at the
 end of the study (NA) * time: time from hatching to event (either death or
 end of study) in days * status: 1 = dead, 0 = alive * Mean.Egg.Size: mean
 egg size (in g) of all eggs laid by a female during a breeding event *
 Generation: generation of selection treatment (5 or 6) * family: ring
 number of mother * second.breeding: female included in two breeding
 events? 1 = yes, 0 = no #### File: ReproductiveAgeing.csv
 **Description:**  Breeding data for females included in two breeding
 events. ##### Variables * ring: individual ID * breeding.event: first (1)
 or second (2) breeding event of a female * line: selection line: H - high
 investment, L - low investment * Replicate: biological replicate of
 selection lines (replicate 1 or 2) * Generation: generation of selection
 treatment (5 or 6) * Age: age of female at the specified breeding event
 (in days) * tarsus: tarsus length in mm (a measure of body size) *
 Egg.mass: mean egg size (in g) of eggs laid by a female during the
 specified breeding event * family: ring number of mother ## Code/software
 The following R packages were used for the analyses: R 4.2.1 lme4 1.1 35 -
 5 coxme 2.2 - 20 survival 3.7 - 0 survminer 0.4.9 ggplot2 3.5.1 nimble
 1.3.0 tidyverse 2.0 coda 0.19 data.table 1.17.8 
 
 The R scripts (Quail_Lifespan, Quail_Ageing, Dist_Gompertz,
 Dist_GompertzNim) contain code for the analyses and figures contained in
 the paper. These can be found under the 'Software' link in the
 Related Works.