Meeting Abstract

112.1  Monday, Jan. 7  Optimal Performance Theory: developing a framework for understanding whole-animal performance in the wild WILSON, R S*; CARTER, A J; The University of Queensland; University of Cambridge r.wilson@uq.edu.au

Should an animal run as fast as it can when trying to escape a predator? What about when running to catch food or whilst displaying to a female? The simple answer should be no, of course not. After all, we would never run at full pace down a steep set of stairs or across an icy sidewalk, no matter how many predators were chasing us. It is surprising then that much of our focus on animal performance is concerned with quantifying an individual’s maximal capabilities. In fact, when biologists have quantified whole-animal performance levels used in the wild, most species seem to rarely perform at speeds that approach maximal capacities, even when executing fitness-relevant tasks. This should not be surprising – whether it’s running on a slippery surface or on a thin branch, the actual performance used by an animal should be optimized to the prevailing environmental conditions. In this talk, we will explore the idea of optimal performance theory and attempt to develop a theoretical approach for studying whole-animal performance in nature. We believe that the concept of optimal performance will help shift the focus away from studies of only maximal capacity towards a more comprehensive understanding of the evolution of physical performance tasks. To do this, we will present a simple model of optimal performance and provide a discussion of the type of empirical studies that may help move this framework forward.