1
|
Moosmann M, Greenway R, Oester R, Matthews B. The role of fish predators and their foraging traits in shaping zooplankton community structure. Ecol Lett 2024; 27:e14382. [PMID: 38361474 DOI: 10.1111/ele.14382] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2023] [Revised: 01/02/2024] [Accepted: 01/15/2024] [Indexed: 02/17/2024]
Abstract
Differentiation of foraging traits among predator populations may help explain observed variation in the structure of prey communities. However, few studies have investigated the phenotypic effects of predators on their prey in natural communities. Here, we use a comparative analysis of 78 Greenlandic lakes to examine how foraging trait variation among threespine stickleback populations can help explain variation in zooplankton community composition among lakes. We find that landscape-scale variation in zooplankton composition was jointly explained by lake properties, such as size and water chemistry, and the presence and absence of both stickleback and arctic char. Additional variation in zooplankton community structure can be explained by stickleback jaw protrusion, a trait with known utility for foraging on zooplankton, but only in lakes where stickleback co-occur with arctic char. Overall, our results illustrate how trait variation of predators, alongside other ecosystem properties, can influence the composition of prey communities in nature.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Marvin Moosmann
- Department of Fish Ecology and Evolution, EAWAG, Kastanienbaum, Switzerland
- Swiss Ornithological Institute, Sempach, Switzerland
| | - Ryan Greenway
- Department of Biology, University of Constance, Constance, Germany
| | - Rebecca Oester
- Department of Aquatic Ecology, EAWAG, Kastanienbaum, Dübendorf, Switzerland
| | - Blake Matthews
- Department of Fish Ecology and Evolution, EAWAG, Kastanienbaum, Switzerland
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Lion S, Sasaki A, Boots M. Extending eco-evolutionary theory with oligomorphic dynamics. Ecol Lett 2023; 26 Suppl 1:S22-S46. [PMID: 36814412 DOI: 10.1111/ele.14183] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2022] [Revised: 01/30/2023] [Accepted: 01/30/2023] [Indexed: 02/24/2023]
Abstract
Understanding the interplay between ecological processes and the evolutionary dynamics of quantitative traits in natural systems remains a major challenge. Two main theoretical frameworks are used to address this question, adaptive dynamics and quantitative genetics, both of which have strengths and limitations and are often used by distinct research communities to address different questions. In order to make progress, new theoretical developments are needed that integrate these approaches and strengthen the link to empirical data. Here, we discuss a novel theoretical framework that bridges the gap between quantitative genetics and adaptive dynamics approaches. 'Oligomorphic dynamics' can be used to analyse eco-evolutionary dynamics across different time scales and extends quantitative genetics theory to account for multimodal trait distributions, the dynamical nature of genetic variance, the potential for disruptive selection due to ecological feedbacks, and the non-normal or skewed trait distributions encountered in nature. Oligomorphic dynamics explicitly takes into account the effect of environmental feedback, such as frequency- and density-dependent selection, on the dynamics of multi-modal trait distributions and we argue it has the potential to facilitate a much tighter integration between eco-evolutionary theory and empirical data.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Akira Sasaki
- Research Center for Integrative Evolutionary Science, The Graduate University for Advanced Studies, SOKENDAI, Hayama, Japan
- Evolution and Ecology Program, International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis, Laxenburg, Austria
| | - Mike Boots
- Integrative Biology, University of California, Berkeley, California, USA
- Department of Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Penryn, UK
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Hämäläinen R, Kajanus MH, Forsman JT, Kivelä SM, Seppänen JT, Loukola OJ. Ecological and evolutionary consequences of selective interspecific information use. Ecol Lett 2023; 26:490-503. [PMID: 36849224 DOI: 10.1111/ele.14184] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2022] [Revised: 02/02/2023] [Accepted: 02/04/2023] [Indexed: 03/01/2023]
Abstract
Recent work has shown that animals frequently use social information from individuals of their own species as well as from other species; however, the ecological and evolutionary consequences of this social information use remain poorly understood. Additionally, information users may be selective in their social information use, deciding from whom and how to use information, but this has been overlooked in an interspecific context. In particular, the intentional decision to reject a behaviour observed via social information has received less attention, although recent work has indicated its presence in various taxa. Based on existing literature, we explore in which circumstances selective interspecific information use may lead to different ecological and coevolutionary outcomes between two species, such as explaining observed co-occurrences of putative competitors. The initial ecological differences and the balance between the costs of competition and the benefits of social information use potentially determine whether selection may lead to trait divergence, convergence or coevolutionary arms race between two species. We propose that selective social information use, including adoption and rejection of behaviours, may have far-reaching fitness consequences, potentially leading to community-level eco-evolutionary outcomes. We argue that these consequences of selective interspecific information use may be much more widespread than has thus far been considered.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Mira H Kajanus
- Ecology and Genetics, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland
- Department of Biological and Environmental Science, University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä, Finland
| | | | - Sami M Kivelä
- Ecology and Genetics, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
4
|
Mendes PB, Boeger WA. Game dynamics as a driver for pathogen spillover pulses. Ecol Modell 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ecolmodel.2022.110095] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
|
5
|
McPeek MA, McPeek SJ, Fu F. Character displacement when natural selection pushes in only one direction. ECOL MONOGR 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/ecm.1547] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Mark A. McPeek
- Department of Biological Sciences Dartmouth College Hanover New Hampshire USA
| | | | - Feng Fu
- Department of Mathematics Dartmouth College Hanover New Hampshire USA
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Dri GF, Cáceres NC, Della‐Flora F, Dambros CS. Mixed‐species bird flocks enhance the benefits of group aggregation by minimizing variation in body mass while maximizing variation in diet. OIKOS 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/oik.09115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Gabriela Franzoi Dri
- Dept of Wildlife, Fisheries and Conservation Biology, Univ. of Maine Orono ME USA
| | - Nilton Carlos Cáceres
- Depto de Ecologia e Evolução, Centro de Ciências Naturais e Exatas, Univ. Federal de Santa Maria Santa Maria Rio Grande do Sul Brazil
| | | | - Cristian Sales Dambros
- Depto de Ecologia e Evolução, Centro de Ciências Naturais e Exatas, Univ. Federal de Santa Maria Santa Maria Rio Grande do Sul Brazil
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Laskowski KL, Alirangues Nuñez MM, Hilt S, Gessner MO, Mehner T. Predator Group Composition Indirectly Influences Food Web Dynamics through Predator Growth Rates. Am Nat 2022; 199:330-344. [DOI: 10.1086/717812] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Kate L. Laskowski
- Department of Biology and Ecology of Fishes, Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries, Müggelseedamm 310, 12587 Berlin, Germany
- Department of Evolution and Ecology, University of California, Davis, California 95616
| | - Marta M. Alirangues Nuñez
- Department of Ecosystem Research, Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries, Müggelseedamm 310, 12587 Berlin, Germany
| | - Sabine Hilt
- Department of Ecosystem Research, Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries, Müggelseedamm 310, 12587 Berlin, Germany
| | - Mark O. Gessner
- Department of Experimental Limnology, Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries, Alte Fischerhütte 2, 16775 Stechlin, Germany; and Department of Ecology, Berlin Institute of Technology, Ernst-Reuter-Platz 1, 10587 Berlin, Germany
| | - Thomas Mehner
- Department of Biology and Ecology of Fishes, Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries, Müggelseedamm 310, 12587 Berlin, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Alekseeva AY, Groenenboom AE, Smid EJ, Schoustra SE. Eco-Evolutionary Dynamics in Microbial Communities from Spontaneous Fermented Foods. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2021; 18:ijerph181910093. [PMID: 34639397 PMCID: PMC8508538 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph181910093] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2021] [Revised: 09/15/2021] [Accepted: 09/20/2021] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
Eco-evolutionary forces are the key drivers of ecosystem biodiversity dynamics. This resulted in a large body of theory, which has partially been experimentally tested by mimicking evolutionary processes in the laboratory. In the first part of this perspective, we outline what model systems are used for experimental testing of eco-evolutionary processes, ranging from simple microbial combinations and, more recently, to complex natural communities. Microbial communities of spontaneous fermented foods are a promising model system to study eco-evolutionary dynamics. They combine the complexity of a natural community with extensive knowledge about community members and the ease of manipulating the system in a laboratory setup. Due to rapidly developing sequencing techniques and meta-omics approaches incorporating data in building ecosystem models, the diversity in these communities can be analysed with relative ease while hypotheses developed in simple systems can be tested. Here, we highlight several eco-evolutionary questions that are addressed using microbial communities from fermented foods. These questions relate to analysing species frequencies in space and time, the diversity-stability relationship, niche space and community coalescence. We provide several hypotheses of the influence of these factors on community evolution specifying the experimental setup of studies where microbial communities of spontaneous fermented food are used.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Anna Y. Alekseeva
- Laboratory of Genetics, Wageningen University and Research, 6700 HB Wageningen, The Netherlands; (A.E.G.); (S.E.S.)
- Correspondence:
| | - Anneloes E. Groenenboom
- Laboratory of Genetics, Wageningen University and Research, 6700 HB Wageningen, The Netherlands; (A.E.G.); (S.E.S.)
- Laboratory of Food Microbiology, Wageningen University and Research, 6700 HB Wageningen, The Netherlands;
| | - Eddy J. Smid
- Laboratory of Food Microbiology, Wageningen University and Research, 6700 HB Wageningen, The Netherlands;
| | - Sijmen E. Schoustra
- Laboratory of Genetics, Wageningen University and Research, 6700 HB Wageningen, The Netherlands; (A.E.G.); (S.E.S.)
- Department of Food Science and Nutrition, School of Agricultural Sciences, University of Zambia, Lusaka 10101, Zambia
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
McPeek SJ, Bronstein JL, McPeek MA. The Evolution of Resource Provisioning in Pollination Mutualisms. Am Nat 2021; 198:441-459. [PMID: 34559615 DOI: 10.1086/715746] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
AbstractResource dynamics influence the contemporary ecology of consumer-resource mutualisms. Suites of resource traits, such as floral nectar components, also evolve in response to different selective pressures, changing the ecological dynamics of the interacting species at the evolutionary equilibrium. Here we explore the evolution of resource-provisioning traits in a biotically pollinated plant that produces nectar as a resource for beneficial consumers. We develop a mathematical model describing natural selection on two quantitative nectar traits: maximum nectar production rate and maximum nectar reservoir volume. We use this model to examine how nectar production dynamics evolve under different ecological conditions that impose varying cost-benefit regimes on resource provisioning. The model results predict that natural selection favors higher nectar production when ecological factors limit the plant or pollinator's abundance (e.g., a lower productivity environment or a higher pollinator conversion efficiency). We also find that nectar traits evolve as a suite in which higher costs of producing one trait select for a compensatory increase in investment in the other trait. This empirically explicit approach to studying the evolution of consumer-resource mutualisms illustrates how natural selection acting via direct and indirect pathways of species interactions generates patterns of resource provisioning seen in natural systems.
Collapse
|
10
|
Cerezer FO, Cáceres NC, Dambros CS. Effect of Productivity on Community Size Explains the Latitudinal Diversity Gradient of South American Small Mammals. Am Nat 2021; 198:E111-E121. [PMID: 34559610 DOI: 10.1086/716171] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
AbstractAlthough many studies have shown that species richness increases from high to low latitudes (the latitudinal diversity gradient), the mechanisms responsible for generating and maintaining higher species richness in the tropics remain intensely debated. Here we investigate how the effects of temperature on speciation rates (kinetic effects) and the effects of productivity on community size (chemical effects) explain the latitudinal diversity gradient of South American small mammals. We implemented Bayesian models that integrate processes from the neutral and metabolic theories, comparing model predictions with empirical richness patterns. The neutral-metabolic model predicted the latitudinal richness gradient in South American small mammals. We found evidence that the effects of productivity on community size are more important for explaining differences in species richness than the effects of temperature on speciation rates. These results suggest that differences in species richness along latitudinal gradients are regulated primarily by the chemical effects of productivity on speciation-extinction dynamics.
Collapse
|
11
|
Benoit AD, Caruso CM. A sit-and-wait predator, but not an active-pursuit predator, alters pollinator-mediated selection on floral traits. Ecology 2021; 102:e03506. [PMID: 34319595 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.3506] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2020] [Revised: 05/12/2021] [Accepted: 05/25/2021] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Indirect species interactions are ubiquitous in nature, often outnumbering direct species interactions. Yet despite evidence that indirect interactions have strong ecological effects, relatively little is known about whether they can shape adaptive evolution by altering the strength and/or direction of natural selection. We tested whether indirect interactions affect the strength and direction of pollinator-mediated selection on floral traits of the bumble-bee pollinated wildflower Lobelia siphilitica. We estimated the indirect effects of two pollinator predators with contrasting hunting modes: dragonflies (Aeshnidae and Corduliidae) and ambush bugs (Phymata americana, Reduviidae). Because dragonflies are active pursuit predators, we hypothesized that they would strengthen pollinator-mediated selection by weakening plant-pollinator interactions (i.e., a density-mediated indirect effect). In contrast, because ambush bugs are sit-and-wait predators, we hypothesized that they would weaken or reverse the direction of pollinator-mediated selection by altering pollinator foraging behavior (i.e., a trait-mediated indirect effect). Specifically, if ambush bugs hunt from plants with traits that attract pollinators (i.e., prey), then pollinators will spend less time visiting those plants, weakening or reversing the direction of selection on attractive floral traits. We did not find evidence that high dragonfly abundance strengthened selection on floral traits via a density-mediated indirect effect: neither pollen limitation (a proxy for the strength of plant-pollinator interactions) nor directional selection on floral traits of L. siphilitica differed significantly between high- and low-dragonfly abundance treatments. In contrast, we did find evidence that ambush bug presence affected selection on floral traits via a trait-mediated indirect effect: ambush bugs hunted from L. siphilitica plants with larger daily floral displays, reversing the direction of pollinator-mediated selection on daily display size. These results suggest that indirect species interactions have the potential to shape adaptive evolution by altering natural selection.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Amanda D Benoit
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, N1G 2W1, Canada
| | - Christina M Caruso
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, N1G 2W1, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
A common measure of prey immune function is not constrained by the cascading effects of predators. Evol Ecol 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s10682-021-10124-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
|
13
|
Engen S, Grøtan V, Sæther BE, Coste CFD. An Evolutionary and Ecological Community Model for Distribution of Phenotypes and Abundances among Competing Species. Am Nat 2021; 198:13-32. [PMID: 34143723 DOI: 10.1086/714529] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
AbstractHere, we propose a theory for the structure of communities of competing species. We include ecologically realistic assumptions, such as density dependence and stochastic fluctuations in the environment, and analyze how evolution caused by r- and K-selection will affect the packing of species in the phenotypic space as well as the species abundance distribution. Species-specific traits have the same matrix G of additive genetic variances and covariances, and evolution of mean traits is affected by fluctuations in population size of all species. In general, the model produces a shape of the distributions of log abundances that is skewed to the left, which is typical of most natural communities. Mean phenotypes of the species in the community are distributed approximately uniformly on the surface of a multidimensional sphere. However, environmental stochasticity generates selection that deviates species slightly from this surface; nonetheless, phenotypic distribution will be different from a random packing of species. This model of community evolution provides a theoretical framework that predicts a relationship between the structure of the phenotypic space and the form of species abundance distributions that can be compared against time series of variation in community structure.
Collapse
|
14
|
Gómez-Llano M, Germain RM, Kyogoku D, McPeek MA, Siepielski AM. When Ecology Fails: How Reproductive Interactions Promote Species Coexistence. Trends Ecol Evol 2021; 36:610-622. [PMID: 33785182 DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2021.03.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2020] [Revised: 03/09/2021] [Accepted: 03/10/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
That species must differ ecologically is often viewed as a fundamental condition for their stable coexistence in biological communities. Yet, recent work has shown that ecologically equivalent species can coexist when reproductive interactions and sexual selection regulate population growth. Here, we review theoretical models and highlight empirical studies supporting a role for reproductive interactions in maintaining species diversity. We place reproductive interactions research within a burgeoning conceptual framework of coexistence theory, identify four key mechanisms in intra- and interspecific interactions within and between sexes, speculate on novel mechanisms, and suggest future research. Given the preponderance of sexual reproduction in nature, our review suggests that this is a neglected path towards explaining species diversity when traditional ecological explanations have failed.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Miguel Gómez-Llano
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR 72701, USA.
| | - Rachel M Germain
- Department of Zoology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada; Biodiversity Research Centre, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada
| | - Daisuke Kyogoku
- The Museum of Nature and Human Activities, Hyogo 669-1546, Japan
| | - Mark A McPeek
- Department of Biological Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH 03755, USA
| | - Adam M Siepielski
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR 72701, USA
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Benoit AD, Kalisz S. Predator Effects on Plant-Pollinator Interactions, Plant Reproduction, Mating Systems, and Evolution. ANNUAL REVIEW OF ECOLOGY, EVOLUTION, AND SYSTEMATICS 2020. [DOI: 10.1146/annurev-ecolsys-012120-094926] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Plants are the foundation of the food web and therefore interact directly and indirectly with myriad organisms at higher trophic levels. They directly provide nourishment to mutualistic and antagonistic primary consumers (e.g., pollinators and herbivores), which in turn are consumed by predators. These interactions produce cascading indirect effects on plants (either trait-mediated or density-mediated). We review how predators affect plant-pollinator interactions and thus how predators indirectly affect plant reproduction, fitness, mating systems, and trait evolution. Predators can influence pollinator abundance and foraging behavior. In many cases, predators cause pollinators to visit plants less frequently and for shorter durations. This decline in visitation can lead to pollen limitation and decreased seed set. However, alternative outcomes can result due to differences in predator, pollinator, and plant functional traits as well as due to altered interaction networks with plant enemies. Furthermore, predators may indirectly affect the evolution of plant traits and mating systems.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Amanda D. Benoit
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee 37996, USA;,
| | - Susan Kalisz
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee 37996, USA;,
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Mendes PB, Faria LD. The eco-evolutionary dynamics of a predator-prey system across an r/K continuum. Ecol Modell 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ecolmodel.2020.109269] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
|
17
|
Start D. Phenotypic plasticity and community composition interactively shape trophic interactions. OIKOS 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/oik.07194] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Denon Start
- Center for Population Biology, Univ. of California Davis 1 Shields Avenue Davis CA 95616 USA
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
Mitchell EG, Bobkov N, Bykova N, Dhungana A, Kolesnikov AV, Hogarth IRP, Liu AG, Mustill TMR, Sozonov N, Rogov VI, Xiao S, Grazhdankin DV. The influence of environmental setting on the community ecology of Ediacaran organisms. Interface Focus 2020; 10:20190109. [PMID: 32642052 DOI: 10.1098/rsfs.2019.0109] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/14/2020] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The broad-scale environment plays a substantial role in shaping modern marine ecosystems, but the degree to which palaeocommunities were influenced by their environment is unclear. To investigate how broad-scale environment influenced the community ecology of early animal ecosystems, we employed spatial point process analyses (SPPA) to examine the community structure of seven late Ediacaran (558-550 Ma) bedding-plane assemblages drawn from a range of environmental settings and global localities. The studied palaeocommunities exhibit marked differences in the response of their component taxa to sub-metre-scale habitat heterogeneities on the seafloor. Shallow-marine (nearshore) palaeocommunities were heavily influenced by local habitat heterogeneities, in contrast to their deeper-water counterparts. The local patchiness within shallow-water communities may have been further accentuated by the presence of grazers and detritivores, whose behaviours potentially initiated a propagation of increasing habitat heterogeneity of benthic communities from shallow to deep-marine depositional environments. Higher species richness in shallow-water Ediacaran assemblages compared to deep-water counterparts across the studied time-interval could have been driven by this environmental patchiness, because habitat heterogeneities increase species richness in modern marine environments. Our results provide quantitative support for the 'Savannah' hypothesis for early animal diversification-whereby Ediacaran diversification was driven by patchiness in the local benthic environment.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Emily G Mitchell
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3EJ, UK
| | - Nikolai Bobkov
- Trofimuk Institute of Petroleum Geology and Geophysics, 3, Ac. Koptyuga ave., Novosibirsk 630090, Russian Federation.,Novosibirsk State University, Novosibirsk, Novosibirsk Oblast 630090, Russian Federation
| | - Natalia Bykova
- Trofimuk Institute of Petroleum Geology and Geophysics, 3, Ac. Koptyuga ave., Novosibirsk 630090, Russian Federation.,Department of Geosciences, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA
| | - Alavya Dhungana
- Department of Earth Sciences, Durham University, Lower Mountjoy, South Road, Durham DH1 3LE, UK
| | - Anton V Kolesnikov
- Trofimuk Institute of Petroleum Geology and Geophysics, 3, Ac. Koptyuga ave., Novosibirsk 630090, Russian Federation.,Geological Institute, Russian Academy of Sciences, Pygevsky 7, Moscow 119017, Russia.,Faculty of Geography, Moscow State Pedagogical University, Kibalchicha str. 16, Moscow 129626, Russia
| | - Ian R P Hogarth
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Cambridge, Philippa Fawcett Drive, Cambridge CB3 0AS, UK
| | - Alexander G Liu
- Department of Earth Sciences, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3EQ, UK
| | - Tom M R Mustill
- Department of Earth Sciences, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3EQ, UK
| | - Nikita Sozonov
- Trofimuk Institute of Petroleum Geology and Geophysics, 3, Ac. Koptyuga ave., Novosibirsk 630090, Russian Federation.,Novosibirsk State University, Novosibirsk, Novosibirsk Oblast 630090, Russian Federation
| | - Vladimir I Rogov
- Trofimuk Institute of Petroleum Geology and Geophysics, 3, Ac. Koptyuga ave., Novosibirsk 630090, Russian Federation
| | - Shuhai Xiao
- Department of Geosciences, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA
| | - Dmitriy V Grazhdankin
- Trofimuk Institute of Petroleum Geology and Geophysics, 3, Ac. Koptyuga ave., Novosibirsk 630090, Russian Federation.,Novosibirsk State University, Novosibirsk, Novosibirsk Oblast 630090, Russian Federation
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
Lehmann L, Rousset F. When Do Individuals Maximize Their Inclusive Fitness? Am Nat 2020; 195:717-732. [DOI: 10.1086/707561] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
|
20
|
Start D. Abundance and traits link predator ontogeny to prey communities. Ecology 2020; 101:e03044. [PMID: 32222071 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.3044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2019] [Revised: 03/10/2020] [Accepted: 03/16/2020] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Function and abundances shape species interactions and thus ecological communities. While communities are often summarized as the mean function of each species, intraspecific variation in traits and thus function is an important driver of community composition. Ontogeny is a common source of intraspecific variation, but while age-related functional changes can alter species interactions, so too can the effects of those functions on the density of the focal organism. For instance, ontogenetic variation can trigger higher levels of cannibalism, reducing abundances and altering interspecific interactions. I manipulate ontogenetic variation in damselfly larvae to show that intraspecific variation can impact communities through two distinct mechanisms. First, within-species differences affect population sizes, and thus indirectly shape communities (indirect effect). In particular, ontogenetic variation resulted in smaller damselfly populations, likely because of increased cannibalism rates, and thus ontogenetically diverse populations had a smaller total effect on their prey. Second, trait variation can affect communities by creating differences in the strength of per capita species interactions (direct effect). In this case, damselfly populations with greater age variation had smaller per capita effects on prey communities. I conclude that ontogeny of a single species can directly and indirectly shape community composition.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Denon Start
- Center for Population Biology, University of California at Davis, Davis, California, 95616, USA
| |
Collapse
|
21
|
Siepielski AM, Hasik AZ, Ping T, Serrano M, Strayhorn K, Tye SP. Predators weaken prey intraspecific competition through phenotypic selection. Ecol Lett 2020; 23:951-961. [PMID: 32227439 DOI: 10.1111/ele.13491] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2020] [Revised: 02/12/2020] [Accepted: 02/19/2020] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
Predators have a key role shaping competitor dynamics in food webs. Perhaps the most obvious way this occurs is when predators reduce competitor densities. However, consumption could also generate phenotypic selection on prey that determines the strength of competition, thus coupling consumptive and trait-based effects of predators. In a mesocosm experiment simulating fish predation on damselflies, we found that selection against high damselfly activity rates - a phenotype mediating predation and competition - weakened the strength of density dependence in damselfly growth rates. A field experiment corroborated this finding and showed that increasing damselfly densities in lakes with high fish densities had limited effects on damselfly growth rates but generated a precipitous growth rate decline where fish densities were lower - a pattern expected because of spatial variation in selection imposed by predation. These results suggest that accounting for both consumption and selection is necessary to determine how predators regulate prey competitive interactions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Adam M Siepielski
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR, 72701, USA
| | - Adam Z Hasik
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR, 72701, USA
| | - Taylor Ping
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR, 72701, USA
| | - Mabel Serrano
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR, 72701, USA
| | - Koby Strayhorn
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR, 72701, USA
| | - Simon P Tye
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR, 72701, USA
| |
Collapse
|
22
|
Start D. Ecological rigidity and the hardness of selection in the wild. Evolution 2020; 74:859-870. [PMID: 32187651 DOI: 10.1111/evo.13950] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2019] [Revised: 02/18/2020] [Accepted: 02/26/2020] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Hutchinson's ecological theater and evolutionary play is a classical view of evolutionary ecology-ecology provides a template in which evolution occurs. An opposing view is that ecological and evolutionary changes are like two actors on a stage, intertwined by density and frequency dependence. These opposing views correspond to hard and soft selection, respectively. Although often presented as diametrically opposed, both types of selection can occur simultaneously, yet we largely lack knowledge of the relative importance of hard versus soft selection in the wild. I use a dataset of 3000 individual gall makers from 15 wild local populations over 5 years to investigate the hardness of selection. I show that enemy attack consistently favors some gall sizes over others (hard selection) but that these biases can be fine-tuned by density and frequency dependence (soft selection). As a result, selection is hard and soft in roughly equal measures, but the importance of each type varies as species interactions shift. I conclude that eco-evolutionary dynamics should occur when a mix of hard and soft selection acts on a population. This work contributes to the rapprochement of disparate views of evolutionary ecology-ecology is neither a rigid theater nor a flexible actor, but instead embodies components of both.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Denon Start
- Center for Population Biology, UC Davis, Davis, California, 95616
| |
Collapse
|
23
|
Avoidance and aggregation create consistent egg distribution patterns of congeneric caddisflies across spatially variable oviposition landscapes. Oecologia 2020; 192:375-389. [PMID: 31938883 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-019-04587-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2019] [Accepted: 12/26/2019] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
Amongst oviparous animals, the spatial distribution of individuals is often set initially by where females lay eggs, with potential implications for populations and species coexistence. Do the spatial arrangements of oviposition sites or female behaviours determine spatial patterns of eggs? The consequences of spatial patterns may be context independent if strong behaviours drive patterns; context dependent if the local environment dominates. We tested these ideas using a guild of stream-dwelling caddisflies that oviposit on emergent rocks, focussing on genera with contrasting behaviours. In naturally occurring oviposition landscapes (riffles with emergent rocks), we surveyed the spatial arrangement and environmental characteristics of all emergent rocks, identified and enumerated egg masses on each. Multiple riffles were surveyed to test for spatially invariant patterns and behaviours. In landscapes, we tested for spatial clumping of oviposition sites exploited by each species and for segregation of congeneric species. At oviposition sites, we characterised the frequency distributions of egg masses and tested for species associations. Genus-specific behaviours produced different spatial patterns of egg masses in the same landscapes. Congregative behaviour of Ulmerochorema spp. at landscape scales and an aggregative response at preferred oviposition sites led to clumped patterns, local aggregation and species overlap. In contrast, avoidance behaviours by congeners of Apsilochorema resulted in no or weak clumping, and species segregation in some landscapes. Spatial patterns were consistent across riffles that varied in area and oviposition site density. These results suggest that quite different oviposition behaviours may be context independent, and the consequences of spatial patterns may be spatially invariant also.
Collapse
|
24
|
Meilhac J, Deschamps L, Maire V, Flajoulot S, Litrico I. Both selection and plasticity drive niche differentiation in experimental grasslands. NATURE PLANTS 2020; 6:28-33. [PMID: 31873193 DOI: 10.1038/s41477-019-0569-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2018] [Accepted: 11/11/2019] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
The way species avoid each other in a community by using resources differently across space and time is one of the main drivers of species coexistence in nature1,2. This mechanism, known as niche differentiation, has been widely examined theoretically but still lacks thorough experimental validation in plants. To shape niche differences over time, species within communities can reduce the overlap between their niches or find unexploited environmental space3. Selection and phenotypic plasticity have been advanced as two candidate processes driving niche differentiation4,5, but their respective role remains to be quantified6. Here, we tracked changes in plant height, as a candidate trait for light capture7, in 5-year multispecies sown grasslands. We found increasing among-species height differences over time. Phenotypic plasticity promotes this change, which explains the rapid setting of differentiation in our system. Through the inspection of changes in genetic structure, we also highlighted the contribution of selection. Altogether, we experimentally demonstrated the occurrence of species niche differentiation within artificial grassland communities over a short time scale through the joined action of both plasticity and selection.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Lucas Deschamps
- Département des Sciences de l'Environnement, UQTR, Trois-Rivières, Québec, Canada
| | - Vincent Maire
- Département des Sciences de l'Environnement, UQTR, Trois-Rivières, Québec, Canada
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
25
|
de Andreazzi CS, Astegiano J, Guimarães PR. Coevolution by different functional mechanisms modulates the structure and dynamics of antagonistic and mutualistic networks. OIKOS 2019. [DOI: 10.1111/oik.06737] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Cecilia Siliansky de Andreazzi
- Depto de Ecologia, Univ. de São Paulo (USP), Rua do Matão, 321 – Trav. 14 Cid. Universitária São Paulo CEP 05508‐090 Brazil
- Laboratório de Biologia e Parasitologia de Mamíferos Silvestres Reservatórios, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, FIOCRUZ Rio de Janeiro Brazil
| | - Julia Astegiano
- Depto de Ecologia, Univ. de São Paulo (USP), Rua do Matão, 321 – Trav. 14 Cid. Universitária São Paulo CEP 05508‐090 Brazil
- Grupo de Interacciones Ecológicas y Conservación, Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Vegetal (IMBIV), Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales, Univ. Nacional de Córdoba, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas Córdoba Argentina
| | - Paulo R. Guimarães
- Depto de Ecologia, Univ. de São Paulo (USP), Rua do Matão, 321 – Trav. 14 Cid. Universitária São Paulo CEP 05508‐090 Brazil
| |
Collapse
|
26
|
McPeek MA, Siepielski AM. Disentangling ecologically equivalent from neutral species: The mechanisms of population regulation matter. J Anim Ecol 2019; 88:1755-1765. [PMID: 31330057 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13072] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2019] [Accepted: 07/08/2019] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
The neutral theory of biodiversity explored the structure of a community of ecologically equivalent species. Such species are expected to display community drift dynamics analogous to neutral alleles undergoing genetic drift. While entire communities of species are not ecologically equivalent, recent field experiments have documented the existence of guilds of such neutral species embedded in real food webs. What demographic outcomes of the interactions within and between species in these guilds are expected to produce ecological drift versus coexistence remains unclear. To address this issue, and guide empirical testing, we consider models of a guild of ecologically equivalent competitors feeding on a single resource to explore when community drift should manifest. We show that community drift dynamics only emerge when the density-dependent effects of each species on itself are identical to its density-dependent effects on every other guild member. In contrast, if each guild member directly limits itself more than it limits the abundance of other guild members, all species in the guild are coexisting, even though they all are ecologically equivalent with respect to their interactions with species outside the guild (i.e. resources, predators, mutualists). Hence, considering only interspecific ecological differences generating density dependence, and not fully accounting for the preponderance of mechanisms causing intraspecific density dependence, will provide an incomplete picture for segregating between neutrality and coexistence. We also identify critical experiments necessary to disentangle guilds of ecologically equivalent species from those experiencing ecological drift, as well as provide an overview of ways of incorporating a mechanistic basis into studies of species coexistence and neutrality. Identifying these characteristics, and the mechanistic basis underlying community structure, is not merely an exercise in clarifying the semantics of coexistence and neutral theories, but rather reflects key differences that must exist among community members in order to determine how and why communities are structured.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mark A McPeek
- Department of Biological Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH, 03755, USA
| | - Adam M Siepielski
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR, 72701, USA
| |
Collapse
|
27
|
Privatization of public goods can cause population decline. Nat Ecol Evol 2019; 3:1206-1216. [PMID: 31332334 DOI: 10.1038/s41559-019-0944-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2018] [Accepted: 06/12/2019] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Microbes commonly deploy a risky strategy to acquire nutrients from their environment, involving the production of costly public goods that can be exploited by neighbouring individuals. Why engage in such a strategy when an exploitation-free alternative is readily available whereby public goods are kept private? We address this by examining metabolism of Saccharomyces cerevisiae in its native form and by creating a new three-strain synthetic community deploying different strategies of sucrose metabolism. Public-metabolizers digest resources externally, private-metabolizers internalize resources before digestion, and cheats avoid the metabolic costs of digestion but exploit external products generated by competitors. A combination of mathematical modelling and ecological experiments reveal that private-metabolizers invade and take over an otherwise stable community of public-metabolizers and cheats. However, owing to the reduced growth rate of private-metabolizers and population bottlenecks that are frequently associated with microbial communities, privatizing public goods can become unsustainable, leading to population decline.
Collapse
|
28
|
Sentis A, Bertram R, Dardenne N, Ramon-Portugal F, Louit I, Le Trionnaire G, Simon JC, Magro A, Pujol B, Hemptinne JL, Danchin E. Different phenotypic plastic responses to predators observed among aphid lineages specialized on different host plants. Sci Rep 2019; 9:9017. [PMID: 31227730 PMCID: PMC6588606 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-45220-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2018] [Accepted: 05/29/2019] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
The role of intraspecific variation in the magnitude and direction of plastic responses in ecology and evolution is increasingly recognized. However, the factors underlying intraspecific variation in plastic responses remain largely unexplored, particularly for the hypothesis that the herbivores' phenotypic response to predators might vary amongst lineages associated with different host plants. Here, we tested whether plant-specialized lineages of the pea aphid, Acyrthosiphon pisum, differed in their transgenerational phenotypic response to ladybird predators (i.e., the asexual production of winged offspring by wingless mothers). In a full factorial laboratory experiment, we found that six aphid clonal lineages each specialized either on alfalfa or clover significantly differed in their transgenerational phenotypic response to predators. Some lineages produced an increased number of winged aphids in predator presence while others did not respond. Aphid lineages specialized on alfalfa had stronger phenotypic responses to predators than those specialized on clover. Although we tested only six aphid lineages from two biotypes, our results imply that intraspecific variation in prey phenotypic response of herbivores to predators differs amongst lineages specialized on different host plants. Our findings therefore raise the question of the influence of plant specialization in shaping herbivore phenotypic responses, and highlight the need to consider multi-trophic interactions to understand the causes and consequences of intraspecific variation in complex phenotypic traits.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Arnaud Sentis
- UMR-5174; EDB (Laboratoire Évolution & Diversité Biologique), CNRS, Université Toulouse III-Paul Sabatier, IRD, 18 route de Narbonne, F-31062, Toulouse, Cedex 9, France. .,IRSTEA, Aix Marseille Univ., UMR RECOVER, 3275 route Cézanne, 13182, Aix-en-Provence, France.
| | - Raphaël Bertram
- UMR-5174; EDB (Laboratoire Évolution & Diversité Biologique), CNRS, Université Toulouse III-Paul Sabatier, IRD, 18 route de Narbonne, F-31062, Toulouse, Cedex 9, France
| | - Nathalie Dardenne
- UMR-5174; EDB (Laboratoire Évolution & Diversité Biologique), CNRS, Université Toulouse III-Paul Sabatier, IRD, 18 route de Narbonne, F-31062, Toulouse, Cedex 9, France
| | - Felipe Ramon-Portugal
- UMR-5174; EDB (Laboratoire Évolution & Diversité Biologique), CNRS, Université Toulouse III-Paul Sabatier, IRD, 18 route de Narbonne, F-31062, Toulouse, Cedex 9, France
| | - Ines Louit
- UMR-5174; EDB (Laboratoire Évolution & Diversité Biologique), CNRS, Université Toulouse III-Paul Sabatier, IRD, 18 route de Narbonne, F-31062, Toulouse, Cedex 9, France
| | - Gaël Le Trionnaire
- UMR 1349; IGEPP (Institut de Génétique, Environnement et Protection des Plantes); INRA, Agrocampus Ouest, Université Rennes 1; Domaine de la Motte B.P. 35327, F-35653 Le Rheu cedex, Rennes, France
| | - Jean-Christophe Simon
- UMR 1349; IGEPP (Institut de Génétique, Environnement et Protection des Plantes); INRA, Agrocampus Ouest, Université Rennes 1; Domaine de la Motte B.P. 35327, F-35653 Le Rheu cedex, Rennes, France
| | - Alexandra Magro
- UMR-5174; EDB (Laboratoire Évolution & Diversité Biologique), CNRS, Université Toulouse III-Paul Sabatier, IRD, 18 route de Narbonne, F-31062, Toulouse, Cedex 9, France
| | - Benoit Pujol
- UMR-5174; EDB (Laboratoire Évolution & Diversité Biologique), CNRS, Université Toulouse III-Paul Sabatier, IRD, 18 route de Narbonne, F-31062, Toulouse, Cedex 9, France.,PSL Université Paris, EPHE-UPVD-CNRS, USR 3278 CRIOBE, Université de Perpignan, 52 Avenue Paul Alduy, 66860, Perpignan, Cedex, France
| | - Jean-Louis Hemptinne
- UMR-5174; EDB (Laboratoire Évolution & Diversité Biologique), CNRS, Université Toulouse III-Paul Sabatier, IRD, 18 route de Narbonne, F-31062, Toulouse, Cedex 9, France
| | - Etienne Danchin
- UMR-5174; EDB (Laboratoire Évolution & Diversité Biologique), CNRS, Université Toulouse III-Paul Sabatier, IRD, 18 route de Narbonne, F-31062, Toulouse, Cedex 9, France
| |
Collapse
|
29
|
Badyaev AV, Posner AB, Morrison ES, Higginson DM. Cycles of external dependency drive evolution of avian carotenoid networks. Nat Commun 2019; 10:1596. [PMID: 30962432 PMCID: PMC6453931 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-019-09579-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2018] [Accepted: 03/19/2019] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
All organisms depend on input of exogenous compounds that cannot be internally produced. Gain and loss of such dependencies structure ecological communities and drive species' evolution, yet the evolution of mechanisms that accommodate these variable dependencies remain elusive. Here, we show that historical cycles of gains and losses of external dependencies in avian carotenoid-producing networks are linked to their evolutionary diversification. This occurs because internalization of metabolic controls-produced when gains in redundancy of dietary inputs coincide with increased branching of their derived products-enables rapid and sustainable exploration of an existing network by shielding it from environmental fluctuations in inputs. Correspondingly, loss of internal controls constrains evolution to the rate of the gains and losses of dietary precursors. Because internalization of a network's controls necessarily bridges diet-specific enzymatic modules within a network, it structurally links local adaptation and continuous evolution even for traits fully dependent on contingent external inputs.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Alexander V Badyaev
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, 85721, USA.
| | - Alexander B Posner
- Department of Epidemiology & Biostatistics, School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
| | - Erin S Morrison
- Sackler Institute for Comparative Genomics, American Museum of Natural History, New York, NY, 10024, USA
| | - Dawn M Higginson
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, 85721, USA
| |
Collapse
|
30
|
Week B, Nuismer SL. The measurement of coevolution in the wild. Ecol Lett 2019; 22:717-725. [PMID: 30775838 DOI: 10.1111/ele.13231] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2018] [Revised: 10/14/2018] [Accepted: 01/11/2019] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Coevolution has long been thought to drive the exaggeration of traits, promote major evolutionary transitions such as the evolution of sexual reproduction and influence epidemiological dynamics. Despite coevolution's long suspected importance, we have yet to develop a quantitative understanding of its strength and prevalence because we lack generally applicable statistical methods that yield numerical estimates for coevolution's strength and significance in the wild. Here, we develop a novel method that derives maximum likelihood estimates for the strength of direct pairwise coevolution by coupling a well-established coevolutionary model to spatially structured phenotypic data. Applying our method to two well-studied interactions reveals evidence for coevolution in both systems. Broad application of this approach has the potential to further resolve long-standing evolutionary debates such as the role species interactions play in the evolution of sexual reproduction and the organisation of ecological communities.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Bob Week
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Idaho, Idaho, NW, USA
| | - Scott L Nuismer
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Idaho, Idaho, NW, USA
| |
Collapse
|
31
|
Schmid DW, McGee MD, Best RJ, Seehausen O, Matthews B. Rapid Divergence of Predator Functional Traits Affects Prey Composition in Aquatic Communities. Am Nat 2019; 193:331-345. [PMID: 30794448 DOI: 10.1086/701784] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
Identifying traits that underlie variation in individual performance of consumers (i.e., trait utility) can help reveal the ecological causes of population divergence and the subsequent consequences for species interactions and community structure. Here, we document a case of rapid divergence (over the past 100 generations, or ∼150 years) in foraging traits and feeding efficiency between a lake and stream population pair of threespine stickleback. Building on predictions from functional trait models of fish feeding, we analyzed foraging experiments with a Bayesian path analysis and elucidated the traits explaining variation in foraging performance and the species composition of ingested prey. Despite extensive previous research on the divergence of foraging traits among populations and ecotypes of stickleback, our results provide novel experimental evidence of trait utility for jaw protrusion, gill raker length, and gill raker spacing when foraging on a natural zooplankton assemblage. Furthermore, we discuss how these traits might contribute to the differential effects of lake and stream stickleback on their prey communities, observed in both laboratory and mesocosm conditions. More generally, our results illustrate how the rapid divergence of functional foraging traits of consumers can impact the biomass, species composition, and trophic structure of prey communities.
Collapse
|
32
|
De Meester L, Brans KI, Govaert L, Souffreau C, Mukherjee S, Vanvelk H, Korzeniowski K, Kilsdonk L, Decaestecker E, Stoks R, Urban MC. Analysing eco‐evolutionary dynamics—The challenging complexity of the real world. Funct Ecol 2019. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.13261] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Luc De Meester
- Laboratory of Aquatic Ecology, Evolution and Conservation KU Leuven Leuven Belgium
| | - Kristien I. Brans
- Laboratory of Aquatic Ecology, Evolution and Conservation KU Leuven Leuven Belgium
| | - Lynn Govaert
- Laboratory of Aquatic Ecology, Evolution and Conservation KU Leuven Leuven Belgium
- Department of Aquatic Ecology Eawag: Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology Dübendorf Switzerland
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies University of Zurich Zürich Switzerland
| | - Caroline Souffreau
- Laboratory of Aquatic Ecology, Evolution and Conservation KU Leuven Leuven Belgium
| | - Shinjini Mukherjee
- Laboratory of Aquatic Ecology, Evolution and Conservation KU Leuven Leuven Belgium
| | - Héléne Vanvelk
- Laboratory of Aquatic Ecology, Evolution and Conservation KU Leuven Leuven Belgium
| | - Konrad Korzeniowski
- Laboratory of Aquatic Ecology, Evolution and Conservation KU Leuven Leuven Belgium
| | - Laurens Kilsdonk
- Laboratory of Aquatic Ecology, Evolution and Conservation KU Leuven Leuven Belgium
| | - Ellen Decaestecker
- Laboratory of Aquatic Biology, IRF Life Sciences, KULAK KU Leuven Kortrijk Belgium
| | - Robby Stoks
- Laboratory or Evolutionary Stress Ecology and Ecotoxicology KU Leuven Leuven Belgium
| | - Mark C. Urban
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Center for Biodiversity and Ecological Risk University of Connecticut Storrs Connecticut
| |
Collapse
|
33
|
McPeek MA. Limiting Similarity? The Ecological Dynamics of Natural Selection among Resources and Consumers Caused by Both Apparent and Resource Competition. Am Nat 2019; 193:E92-E115. [PMID: 30912964 DOI: 10.1086/701629] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
Much of ecological theory presumes that natural selection should foster species coexistence by phenotypically differentiating competitors so that the stability of the community is increased, but whether this will actually occur is a question of the ecological dynamics of natural selection. I develop an evolutionary model of consumer-resource interactions based on MacArthur's and Tilman's classic works, including both resource and apparent competition, to explore what fosters or retards the differentiation of resources and their consumers. Analyses of this model predict that consumers will differentiate only on specific ranges of environmental gradients (e.g., greater productivity, weaker stressors, lower structural complexity), and where it occurs, the magnitude of differentiation also depends on gradient position. In contrast to "limiting similarity" expectations, greater intraspecific phenotypic variance results in less differentiation among the consumers because of how phenotypic variation alters the fitness landscapes driving natural selection. In addition, the final structure of the community that results from the coevolution of these interacting species may be highly contingent on the initial properties of the species as the community is being assembled. These results highlight the fact that evolutionary conclusions about community structure cannot be based on ecological arguments of community stability or coexistence but rather must be explicitly based on the ecological dynamics of natural selection.
Collapse
|
34
|
Abstract
Species do not live, interact, or evolve in isolation but are instead members of complex ecological communities. In ecological terms, complex multispecies interactions can be understood by considering indirect effects that are mediated by changes in traits and abundances of intermediate species. Interestingly, traits and abundances are also central to our understanding of phenotypic selection, suggesting that indirect effects may be extended to understand evolution in complex communities. Here we explore indirect ecological effects and their evolutionary corollary in a well-understood food web comprising a plant, its herbivores, and enemies that select for opposite defensive phenotypes in one of the herbivores. We show that ecological indirect interactions are mediated by changes to both the traits and the abundances of intermediate species and that these changes ultimately reduce enemy attack and weaken selection. We discuss the generality of the link between indirect effects and selection. We go on to argue that local adaptation and eco-evolutionary feedback may be less likely in complex multispecies food webs than in simpler food chains (e.g., coevolution). Overall, considering selection in complex interaction networks can facilitate the rapprochement of community ecology and evolution.
Collapse
|
35
|
de Andreazzi CS, Guimarães PR, Melián CJ. Eco-evolutionary feedbacks promote fluctuating selection and long-term stability of antagonistic networks. Proc Biol Sci 2019. [PMID: 29540515 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2017.2596] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Studies have shown the potential for rapid adaptation in coevolving populations and that the structure of species interaction networks can modulate the vulnerability of ecological systems to perturbations. Although the feedback loop between population dynamics and coevolution of traits is crucial for understanding long-term stability in ecological assemblages, modelling eco-evolutionary dynamics in species-rich assemblages is still a challenge. We explore how eco-evolutionary feedbacks influence trait evolution and species abundances in 23 empirical antagonistic networks. We show that, if selection due to antagonistic interactions is stronger than other selective pressures, eco-evolutionary feedbacks lead to higher mean species abundances and lower temporal variation in abundances. By contrast, strong selection of antagonistic interactions leads to higher temporal variation of traits and on interaction strengths. Our results present a theoretical link between the study of the species persistence and coevolution in networks of interacting species, pointing out the ways by which coevolution may decrease the vulnerability of species within antagonistic networks to demographic fluctuation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Cecilia Siliansky de Andreazzi
- Departamento de Ecologia, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade de São Paulo, Rua do Matão, Travessa 14, 05508-090 São Paulo, SP, Brazil .,Fiocruz Mata Atlântica, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Estrada Rodrigues Caldas 3400, 22713-375 Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
| | - Paulo R Guimarães
- Departamento de Ecologia, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade de São Paulo, Rua do Matão, Travessa 14, 05508-090 São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Carlos J Melián
- Department of Fish Ecology and Evolution, Center for Ecology, Evolution and Biogeochemistry, EAWAG, Dübendorf, Switzerland
| |
Collapse
|
36
|
Govaert L, Fronhofer EA, Lion S, Eizaguirre C, Bonte D, Egas M, Hendry AP, De Brito Martins A, Melián CJ, Raeymaekers JAM, Ratikainen II, Saether B, Schweitzer JA, Matthews B. Eco‐evolutionary feedbacks—Theoretical models and perspectives. Funct Ecol 2018. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.13241] [Citation(s) in RCA: 92] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Lynn Govaert
- Laboratory of Aquatic Ecology, Evolution and Conservation KU Leuven Leuven Belgium
- Department of Aquatic Ecology Eawag: Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology Dübendorf Switzerland
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies University of Zurich Zürich Switzerland
| | | | - Sébastien Lion
- Centre d'Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Evolutive CNRS, IRD, EPHE Université de Montpellier Montpellier France
| | | | - Dries Bonte
- Department of Biology Ghent University Ghent Belgium
| | - Martijn Egas
- Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics University of Amsterdam Amsterdam The Netherlands
| | - Andrew P. Hendry
- Redpath Museum and Department of Biology McGill University Montreal Quebec Canada
| | - Ayana De Brito Martins
- Fish Ecology and Evolution DepartmentCenter for Ecology, Evolution and BiogeochemistryEawag: Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology Dübendorf Switzerland
| | - Carlos J. Melián
- Fish Ecology and Evolution DepartmentCenter for Ecology, Evolution and BiogeochemistryEawag: Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology Dübendorf Switzerland
| | | | - Irja I. Ratikainen
- Department of Biology Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics Norwegian University of Science and Technology Trondheim Norway
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine University of Glasgow Glasgow UK
| | - Bernt‐Erik Saether
- Department of Biology Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics Norwegian University of Science and Technology Trondheim Norway
| | - Jennifer A. Schweitzer
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology University of Tennessee Knoxville Tennessee
| | - Blake Matthews
- Department of Aquatic Ecology Eawag: Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology Dübendorf Switzerland
| |
Collapse
|
37
|
McPeek MA. Mechanisms influencing the coexistence of multiple consumers and multiple resources: resource and apparent competition. ECOL MONOGR 2018. [DOI: 10.1002/ecm.1328] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Mark A. McPeek
- Department of Biological Sciences; Dartmouth College; Hanover New Hampshire 03755 USA
| |
Collapse
|
38
|
Conspecific boldness and predator species determine predation-risk consequences of prey personality. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2018. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-018-2544-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
|
39
|
Abstract
Trait-based community ecology promises an understanding of the factors that determine species abundances and distributions across habitats. However, ecologists are often faced with large suites of potentially important traits, making generalizations across ecosystems and species difficult or even impossible. Here, we hypothesize that key traits structuring ecological communities may be causally dependent on common physiological mechanisms and that elucidating these mechanisms can help us understand the distributions of traits and species across habitats. We test this hypothesis by investigating putatively causal relationships between physiological and behavioral traits at the species and community levels in larvae of 17 species of dragonfly that co-occur at the landscape scale but segregate among lakes. We use tools borrowed from phenotypic selection analyses to show that physiological traits underlie activity rate, which has opposing effects on foraging and predator avoidance behaviors. The effect of activity on these behaviors ultimately shapes species distributions and community composition in habitats with either large-bodied fish or invertebrates as top predators. Remarkably, despite the inherent complexity of ecological communities, the expression of just two biomolecules accounts for a high proportion of the variation in behavioral traits and hence, dragonfly community composition between habitats. We suggest that causal relationships among traits can drive species distributions and community assembly.
Collapse
|
40
|
Bolnick DI. Letter from the Editor. Am Nat 2018; 191:iii-v. [DOI: 10.1086/694918] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
|
41
|
Lion S. Theoretical Approaches in Evolutionary Ecology: Environmental Feedback as a Unifying Perspective. Am Nat 2018; 191:21-44. [PMID: 29244555 DOI: 10.1086/694865] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/25/2024]
Abstract
Evolutionary biology and ecology have a strong theoretical underpinning, and this has fostered a variety of modeling approaches. A major challenge of this theoretical work has been to unravel the tangled feedback loop between ecology and evolution. This has prompted the development of two main classes of models. While quantitative genetics models jointly consider the ecological and evolutionary dynamics of a focal population, a separation of timescales between ecology and evolution is assumed by evolutionary game theory, adaptive dynamics, and inclusive fitness theory. As a result, theoretical evolutionary ecology tends to be divided among different schools of thought, with different toolboxes and motivations. My aim in this synthesis is to highlight the connections between these different approaches and clarify the current state of theory in evolutionary ecology. Central to this approach is to make explicit the dependence on environmental dynamics of the population and evolutionary dynamics, thereby materializing the eco-evolutionary feedback loop. This perspective sheds light on the interplay between environmental feedback and the timescales of ecological and evolutionary processes. I conclude by discussing some potential extensions and challenges to our current theoretical understanding of eco-evolutionary dynamics.
Collapse
|
42
|
Abstract
Intraspecific variation is central to our understanding of evolution and ecology, but these fields generally consider either the mean trait value or its variance. Alternatively, the keystone individual concept from behavioral ecology posits that a single individual with an extreme phenotype can have disproportionate and irreplaceable effects on group dynamics. Here, I generalize this concept to include nonbehavioral traits and broader ecological and evolutionary dynamics. I test for the effects of individuals with extreme phenotypes on the ecology and evolution of a gall-forming fly and its natural enemies that select for opposite gall sizes. Specifically, I introduce a putatively keystone predator-attracting individual gall-maker, hypothesizing that the presence of such an individual should (1) increase gall maker population-level mortality, (2) cause consumer communities to be dominated by species that are most attracted to the keystone individual, (3) increase selection for traits conferring defense against the most common consumer, and (4) weaken patterns of stabilizing selection. I find support for both the ecological and evolutionary consequences of single individuals with extreme phenotypes, suggesting that they can be considered keystone individuals. I discuss the generality of the keystone individual concept, suggesting likely consequences for ecology and evolution.
Collapse
|
43
|
Lundsgaard-Hansen B, Matthews B, Aebischer T, Seehausen O. The Legacy of Ecosystem Effects Caused by Adaptive Radiation. COPEIA 2017. [DOI: 10.1643/ce-16-514] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
|
44
|
Transgenerational selection driven by divergent ecological impacts of hybridizing lineages. Nat Ecol Evol 2017; 1:1757-1765. [DOI: 10.1038/s41559-017-0308-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2016] [Accepted: 08/09/2017] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
|
45
|
Joint evolution of interspecific mutualism and regulation of variation of interaction under directional selection in trait space. THEOR ECOL-NETH 2017. [DOI: 10.1007/s12080-017-0343-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
|