Phylogenetic analyses indicate that viviparity (live‐bearing reproduction) has originated
independently in more than 150 vertebrate lineages, including a minimum of 115 clades of …

Sexual conflict is caused by differences between the sexes in how fitness is maximized.
These differences are shaped by the discrepancy in the investment in gametes, how mates …

The evolution of the placenta from a non-placental ancestor causes a shift of maternal
investment from pre-to post-fertilization, creating a venue for parent–offspring conflicts …

An aspect of life history that has seen increasing attention in recent years is that of strategies
for financing the costs of offspring production. These strategies are often described by a …

Environmental conditions that reproductive females experience can influence patterns of
offspring provisioning and fitness. In particular, prey availability can influence maternal …

How and why complex organs evolve is generally lost to history. The mammalian placenta,
for example, was derived from a single common ancestor that lived over 100 million years …

Populations experiencing consistent differences in predation risk and resource availability
are expected to follow divergent evolutionary trajectories. For example, live-history theory …

The salinization of the global freshwater system caused by various human activities and
climate change has become a common problem threatening freshwater biodiversity and …

An outstanding question in biology is to what extent convergent evolution produces similar,
but not necessarily identical, complex phenotypic solutions. The placenta is a complex …

Maternal effects often provide a mechanism for adaptive transgenerational phenotypic
plasticity. The maternal phenotype can profoundly influence the potential for such …