Meeting Abstract
Life history theory states that mothers should optimize their reproductive success by allocating resources in a way that will result in the greatest fitness, given their environment. Therefore, under this hypothesis, differences in maternal diet should manifest in a manifest in differential resource allocation during a reproductive bout. Here, we aim to examine the effects of maternal diet (protein composition) on resource partitioning among offspring in wild-derived house mice (Mus musculus) housed in semi-natural enclosures. In this study, the mice were randomly assigned at weaning to groups that were given ad lib access to a high (20%) or low (10%) isocaloric protein diet. The diets were also similar in the concentration of fat, fiber, minerals, and vitamins. We predict that individuals on a low-protein diet will have a sex-ratio significantly different from the expected 1:1, and that they will produce more female offspring. We also predicted that mothers in the low-protein group will invest less in offspring production, which will manifest in either a decrease in offspring number and/or a decrease in litter mass. These results will inform us on the impact of maternal protein intake on offspring phenotypes.
