Evolution dances to the tune of death. Killers - be they predators, diseases or competitive peers - can radically shape a species' life cycles by striking down individuals of a certain age. The survivors respond by changing their "life histories" - a collection of traits that defines their reproductive cycles, including how often they breed, when they start to do so and how many young they have.
If an animal's adult life is short and brutal, they tend to grow quickly and become sexually mature at a young age - a strategy that maximises their chances of siring the next generation. The Tasmanian devil may be the latest species to switch to this live-fast, die-young tactic, for their adult population is slowly being wiped off by a contagious cancer.
I've blogged about the disease before. Known as devil facial tumour disease (DFTD), it was first reported in 1996, when devils ...
