There are a number of traditionally held views about the general adaptive value of migration. Despite being energetically expensive, migratory behavior can reap extremely substantial rewards.
Both of these prototypical elements of migration are hyperemphasized in the case of salmon. As emphasized in both the Ontogeny and Phylogeny sections of this site, migration has been a strong contributor as both a value and a pressure to speciation between species in the genus and in the life cycle of the organism.
- Migratory Cull - Energy costs associated with migration exert selective pressure on those animals not fit enough to perform the migration [15].
- Habitat Quality - A habitat which may be ideal under some circumstances may be easily depleted under the strain of a large and successful population [19].
Both of these prototypical elements of migration are hyperemphasized in the case of salmon. As emphasized in both the Ontogeny and Phylogeny sections of this site, migration has been a strong contributor as both a value and a pressure to speciation between species in the genus and in the life cycle of the organism.