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Abstract
The concept of trade-offs is central to our understanding of life-history evolution.
The underlying mechanisms, however, have been little studied. Oxidative stress results
from a mismatch between the production of damaging reactive oxygen species (ROS) and
the organism's capacity to mitigate their damaging effects. Managing oxidative stress
is likely to be a major determinant of life histories, as virtually all activities
generate ROS. There is a recent burgeoning of interest in how oxidative stress is
related to different components of animal performance. The emphasis to date has been
on immediate or short-term effects, but there is an increasing realization that oxidative
stress will influence life histories over longer time scales. The concept of oxidative
stress is currently used somewhat loosely by many ecologists, and the erroneous assumption
often made that dietary antioxidants are necessarily the major line of defence against
ROS-induced damage. We summarize current knowledge on how oxidative stress occurs
and the different methods for measuring it, and highlight where ecologists can be
too simplistic in their approach. We critically review the potential role of oxidative
stress in mediating life-history trade-offs, and present a framework for formulating
appropriate hypotheses and guiding experimental design. We indicate throughout potentially
fruitful areas for further research.