Table 1.
Key terms and parameters
| Term | Description |
|---|---|
| T | Total resources that the individual has available to allocate to fitness‐related traits |
| ω | Total investment in somatic maintenance |
| γ | Total investment in a secondary sexual trait |
| q | Proportion of T allocated to somatic maintenance |
| W | Total fitness |
| b | Mating success |
| E | Lifespan |
| q* | Value of q that optimises total fitness, W, for any given value of T |
| E* | Value of E that optimizes total fitness, W, for any given value of T |
| γ* | Value of γ that optimizes total fitness, W, for any given value of T |
| p | Lifespan function shape parameter |
| n | Power parameter for the power mating success function, which determines the shape of the relationship between γ and b as either linear (n = 1), decelerating power (0 < n < 1), or accelerating power (n > 1) |
| m, r | Parameters that determine the shape of the tan b function |
| x, y, z | Parameters that determine, respectively, the maximum, slope, and midpoint of the logistic b function |
| s | Determines minimum mating success for each b function |