1
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Martins LP, Garcia-Callejas D, Lai HR, Wootton KL, Tylianakis JM. The propagation of disturbances in ecological networks. Trends Ecol Evol 2024; 39:558-570. [PMID: 38402007 DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2024.01.009] [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] [Received: 07/14/2023] [Revised: 11/17/2023] [Accepted: 01/25/2024] [Indexed: 02/26/2024]
Abstract
Despite the development of network science, we lack clear heuristics for how far different disturbance types propagate within and across species interaction networks. We discuss the mechanisms of disturbance propagation in ecological networks, and propose that disturbances can be categorized into structural, functional, and transmission types according to their spread and effect on network structure and functioning. We describe the properties of species and their interaction networks and metanetworks that determine the indirect, spatial, and temporal extent of propagation. We argue that the sampling scale of ecological studies may have impeded predictions regarding the rate and extent that a disturbance spreads, and discuss directions to help ecologists to move towards a predictive understanding of the propagation of impacts across interacting communities and ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucas P Martins
- Centre for Integrative Ecology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Canterbury, Private Bag 4800, Christchurch 8140, Aotearoa New Zealand.
| | - David Garcia-Callejas
- Centre for Integrative Ecology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Canterbury, Private Bag 4800, Christchurch 8140, Aotearoa New Zealand
| | - Hao Ran Lai
- Centre for Integrative Ecology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Canterbury, Private Bag 4800, Christchurch 8140, Aotearoa New Zealand; Bioprotection Aotearoa, School of Biological Sciences, University of Canterbury, Private Bag 4800, Christchurch 8140, Aotearoa New Zealand
| | - Kate L Wootton
- Centre for Integrative Ecology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Canterbury, Private Bag 4800, Christchurch 8140, Aotearoa New Zealand
| | - Jason M Tylianakis
- Centre for Integrative Ecology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Canterbury, Private Bag 4800, Christchurch 8140, Aotearoa New Zealand; Bioprotection Aotearoa, School of Biological Sciences, University of Canterbury, Private Bag 4800, Christchurch 8140, Aotearoa New Zealand
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2
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Roesti M, Groh JS, Blain SA, Huss M, Rassias P, Bolnick DI, Stuart YE, Peichel CL, Schluter D. Species divergence under competition and shared predation. Ecol Lett 2023; 26:111-123. [PMID: 36450600 DOI: 10.1111/ele.14138] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2022] [Revised: 09/28/2022] [Accepted: 10/03/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2022]
Abstract
Species competing for resources also commonly share predators. While competition often drives divergence between species, the effects of shared predation are less understood. Theoretically, competing prey species could either diverge or evolve in the same direction under shared predation depending on the strength and symmetry of their interactions. We took an empirical approach to this question, comparing antipredator and trophic phenotypes between sympatric and allopatric populations of threespine stickleback and prickly sculpin fish that all live in the presence of a trout predator. We found divergence in antipredator traits between the species: in sympatry, antipredator adaptations were relatively increased in stickleback but decreased in sculpin. Shifts in feeding morphology, diet and habitat use were also divergent but driven primarily by stickleback evolution. Our results suggest that asymmetric ecological character displacement indirectly made stickleback more and sculpin less vulnerable to shared predation, driving divergence of antipredator traits between sympatric species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marius Roesti
- Division of Evolutionary Ecology, Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.,Zoology Department and Biodiversity Research Centre, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Jeffrey S Groh
- Zoology Department and Biodiversity Research Centre, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.,Center for Population Biology and Department of Evolution and Ecology, University of California, Davis, California, USA
| | - Stephanie A Blain
- Zoology Department and Biodiversity Research Centre, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Magnus Huss
- Zoology Department and Biodiversity Research Centre, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.,Department of Aquatic Resources, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Öregrund, Sweden
| | - Peter Rassias
- Zoology Department and Biodiversity Research Centre, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Daniel I Bolnick
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut, USA
| | - Yoel E Stuart
- Department of Biology, Loyola University Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Catherine L Peichel
- Division of Evolutionary Ecology, Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Dolph Schluter
- Zoology Department and Biodiversity Research Centre, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
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3
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Predation shapes behavioral lateralization: insights from an adaptive radiation of livebearing fish. Behav Ecol 2021. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arab098] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Hemispheric brain lateralization can drive the expression of behavioral asymmetry, or laterality, which varies notably both within and among species. To explain these left–right behavioral asymmetries in animals, predator-mediated selection is often invoked. Recent studies have revealed that a relatively high degree of lateralization correlates positively with traits known to confer survival benefits against predators, including escape performance, multitasking abilities, and group coordination. Yet, we still know comparatively little about 1) how consistently predators shape behavioral lateralization, 2) the importance of sex-specific variation, and 3) the degree to which behavioral lateralization is heritable. Here, we take advantage of the model system of the radiation of Bahamas mosquitofish (Gambusia hubbsi) and measure behavioral lateralization in hundreds of wild fish originating from multiple blue holes that differ in natural predation pressure. Moreover, we estimated the heritability of this trait using laboratory-born fish from one focal population. We found that the degree of lateralization but not the particular direction of lateralization (left or right) differed significantly across high and low predation risk environments. Fish originating from high-predation environments were more strongly lateralized, especially females. We further confirmed a genetic basis to behavioral lateralization in this species, with significant additive genetic variation in the population examined. Our results reveal that predation risk represents one key ecological factor that has likely shaped the origin and maintenance of this widespread behavioral phenomenon, even potentially explaining some of the sex-specific patterns of laterality recently described in some animals.
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4
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Schmidt BR, BĂncilĂ RI, Hartel T, Grossenbacher K, Schaub M. Shifts in amphibian population dynamics in response to a change in the predator community. Ecosphere 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.3528] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Benedikt R. Schmidt
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies University of Zurich Winterthurerstrasse 190 ZurichCH‐8057Switzerland
- Info fauna karch UniMail, Bâtiment G, Bellevaux 51 NeuchatelCH‐2000Switzerland
| | - Raluca I. BĂncilĂ
- “Emil Racoviţă” Institute of Speleology of Romanian Academy 13 Sptembrie Road, No. 13 Bucharest050711Romania
- Hungarian Department of Biology and Ecology and Center of Systems Biology, Biodiversity and Bioresources Babes‐Bolyai University Cluj‐Napoca Romania
| | - Tibor Hartel
- Hungarian Department of Biology and Ecology and Center of Systems Biology, Biodiversity and Bioresources Babes‐Bolyai University Cluj‐Napoca Romania
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5
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Hulthén K, Hill JS, Jenkins MR, Langerhans RB. Predation and Resource Availability Interact to Drive Life-History Evolution in an Adaptive Radiation of Livebearing Fish. Front Ecol Evol 2021. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2021.619277] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Predation risk and resource availability are two primary factors predicted by theory to drive the evolution of life histories. Yet, disentangling their roles in life-history evolution in the wild is challenging because (1) the two factors often co-vary across environments, and (2) environmental effects on phenotypes can mask patterns of genotypic evolution. Here, we use the model system of the post-Pleistocene radiation of Bahamas mosquitofish (Gambusia hubbsi) inhabiting blue holes to provide a strong test of the roles of predation and resources in life-history evolution, as the two factors do not co-vary in this system and we attempted to minimize environmental effects by raising eight populations under common laboratory conditions. We tested a priori predictions of predation- and resource-driven evolution in five life-history traits. We found that life-history evolution in Bahamas mosquitofish largely reflected complex interactions in the effects of predation and resource availability. High predation risk has driven the evolution of higher fecundity, smaller offspring size, more frequent reproduction, and slower growth rate—but this predation-driven divergence primarily occurred in environments with relatively high resource availability, and the effects of resources on life-history evolution was generally greater within environments having high predation risk. This implies that resource-driven selection on life histories overrides selection from predators when resources are particularly scarce. While several results matched a priori predictions, with the added nuance of interdependence among selective agents, some did not. For instance, only resource levels, not predation risk, explained evolutionary change in male age at maturity, with more rapid sexual maturation in higher-resource environments. We also found faster (not slower) juvenile growth rates within low-resource and low-predation environments, probably caused by selection in these high-competition scenarios favoring greater growth efficiency. Our approach, using common-garden experiments with a natural system of low- and high-predation populations that span a continuum of resource availability, provides a powerful way to deepen our understanding of life-history evolution. Overall, it appears that life-history evolution in this adaptive radiation has resulted from a complex interplay between predation and resources, underscoring the need for increased attention on more sophisticated interactions among selective agents in driving phenotypic diversification.
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Rennison DJ, Rudman SM, Schluter D. Genetics of adaptation: Experimental test of a biotic mechanism driving divergence in traits and genes. Evol Lett 2019; 3:513-520. [PMID: 31636943 PMCID: PMC6791182 DOI: 10.1002/evl3.135] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2018] [Revised: 07/25/2019] [Accepted: 08/07/2019] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Abstract
The genes underlying adaptations are becoming known, yet the causes of selection on genes-a key step in the study of the genetics of adaptation-remains uncertain. We address this issue experimentally in a threespine stickleback species pair showing exaggerated divergence in bony defensive armor in association with competition-driven character displacement. We used semi-natural ponds to test the role of a native predator in causing divergent evolution of armor and two known underlying genes. Predator presence/absence altered selection on dorsal spines and allele frequencies at the Msx2a gene across a generation. Evolutionary trajectories of alleles at a second gene, Pitx1, and the pelvic spine trait it controls, were more variable. Our experiment demonstrates how manipulation of putative selective agents helps to identify causes of evolutionary divergence at key genes, rule out phenotypic plasticity as a sole determinant of phenotypic differences, and eliminate reliance on fitness surrogates. Divergence of predation regimes in sympatric stickleback is associated with coevolution in response to resource competition, implying a cascade of biotic interactions driving species divergence. We suggest that as divergence proceeds, an increasing number of biotic interactions generate divergent selection, causing more evolution in turn. In this way, biotic adaptation perpetuates species divergence through time during adaptive radiation in an expanding number of traits and genes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diana J. Rennison
- Department of Zoology and Biodiversity Research CentreUniversity of British ColumbiaVancouverBritish ColumbiaCanada
- Institute of Ecology and EvolutionUniversity of BernBernSwitzerland
| | - Seth M. Rudman
- Department of Zoology and Biodiversity Research CentreUniversity of British ColumbiaVancouverBritish ColumbiaCanada
- Department of BiologyUniversity of PennsylvaniaPhiladelphiaPennsylvania19104
| | - Dolph Schluter
- Department of Zoology and Biodiversity Research CentreUniversity of British ColumbiaVancouverBritish ColumbiaCanada
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7
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Anaya-Rojas JM, Best RJ, Brunner FS, Eizaguirre C, Leal MC, Melián CJ, Seehausen O, Matthews B. An experimental test of how parasites of predators can influence trophic cascades and ecosystem functioning. Ecology 2019; 100:e02744. [PMID: 31135996 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.2744] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2018] [Revised: 03/21/2019] [Accepted: 03/29/2019] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
Parasites can shape the structure and function of ecosystems by influencing both the density and traits of their hosts. Such changes in ecosystems are particularly likely when the host is a predator that mediates the dynamics of trophic cascades. Here, we experimentally tested how parasite load of a small predatory fish, the threespine stickleback, can affect the occurrence and strength of trophic cascades and ecosystem functioning. In a factorial mesocosm experiment, we manipulated the density of stickleback (low vs. high), and the level of parasite load (natural vs. reduced). In addition, we used two stickleback populations from different lineages: an eastern European lineage with a more pelagic phenotype (Lake Constance) and a western European lineage with a more benthic phenotype (Lake Geneva). We found that stickleback caused trophic cascades in the pelagic but not the benthic food chain. Evidence for pelagic trophic cascades was stronger in treatments where parasite load of stickleback was reduced with an antihelmintic medication, and where fish originated from Lake Constance (i.e., the more pelagic lineage). A structural equation model revealed that differences in stickleback lineage and parasite load were most likely to impact trophic cascades via changes in the composition, rather than overall biomass, of zooplankton communities. Overall, our results provide experimental evidence that parasites of predators can influence the cascading effects of fish on lower trophic levels with consequences on ecosystem functioning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jaime M Anaya-Rojas
- Department of Biological Science, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida, 32306, USA.,Center for Evolution & Biogeochemistry, Eawag, Swiss Federal Institute for Aquatic Science and Technology, Aquatic Ecology Seestrasse 79, Kastanienbaum, 6047, Switzerland
| | - Rebecca J Best
- Center for Evolution & Biogeochemistry, Eawag, Swiss Federal Institute for Aquatic Science and Technology, Aquatic Ecology Seestrasse 79, Kastanienbaum, 6047, Switzerland.,School of Earth and Sustainability, Northern Arizona University, 525 South Beaver Street, Flagstaff, Arizona, 86011, USA
| | - Franziska S Brunner
- Institute of Integrative Biology, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, L69 3BX, UK.,School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, Mile End Road, London, E1 4NS, UK
| | - Christophe Eizaguirre
- School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, Mile End Road, London, E1 4NS, UK
| | - Miguel Costa Leal
- MARE - Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre, Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade de Lisboa, Campo Grande, Lisboa, 1749-016, Portugal.,Fish Ecology and Evolution Department, Center for Evolution & Biogeochemistry, Eawag, Swiss Federal Institute for Aquatic Science and Technology, Seestrasse 79, Kastanienbaum, 6047, Switzerland
| | - Carlos J Melián
- Fish Ecology and Evolution Department, Center for Evolution & Biogeochemistry, Eawag, Swiss Federal Institute for Aquatic Science and Technology, Seestrasse 79, Kastanienbaum, 6047, Switzerland
| | - Ole Seehausen
- Fish Ecology and Evolution Department, Center for Evolution & Biogeochemistry, Eawag, Swiss Federal Institute for Aquatic Science and Technology, Seestrasse 79, Kastanienbaum, 6047, Switzerland.,Institute of Ecology & Evolution, Aquatic Ecology & Evolution, University of Bern, Baltzerstrasse 6, Bern, 3012, Switzerland
| | - Blake Matthews
- Center for Evolution & Biogeochemistry, Eawag, Swiss Federal Institute for Aquatic Science and Technology, Aquatic Ecology Seestrasse 79, Kastanienbaum, 6047, Switzerland
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8
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Koel TM, Tronstad LM, Arnold JL, Gunther KA, Smith DW, Syslo JM, White PJ. Predatory fish invasion induces within and across ecosystem effects in Yellowstone National Park. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2019; 5:eaav1139. [PMID: 30906863 PMCID: PMC6426464 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.aav1139] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2018] [Accepted: 01/31/2019] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
Predatory fish introduction can cause cascading changes within recipient freshwater ecosystems. Linkages to avian and terrestrial food webs may occur, but effects are thought to attenuate across ecosystem boundaries. Using data spanning more than four decades (1972-2017), we demonstrate that lake trout invasion of Yellowstone Lake added a novel, piscivorous trophic level resulting in a precipitous decline of prey fish, including Yellowstone cutthroat trout. Plankton assemblages within the lake were altered, and nutrient transport to tributary streams was reduced. Effects across the aquatic-terrestrial ecosystem boundary remained strong (log response ratio ≤ 1.07) as grizzly bears and black bears necessarily sought alternative foods. Nest density and success of ospreys greatly declined. Bald eagles shifted their diet to compensate for the cutthroat trout loss. These interactions across multiple trophic levels both within and outside of the invaded lake highlight the potential substantial influence of an introduced predatory fish on otherwise pristine ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Todd M. Koel
- Yellowstone Center for Resources, Mammoth Hot Springs, Yellowstone National Park, WY 82190, USA
| | - Lusha M. Tronstad
- Wyoming Natural Diversity Database, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY 82071, USA
| | - Jeffrey L. Arnold
- Yellowstone Center for Resources, Mammoth Hot Springs, Yellowstone National Park, WY 82190, USA
| | - Kerry A. Gunther
- Yellowstone Center for Resources, Mammoth Hot Springs, Yellowstone National Park, WY 82190, USA
| | - Douglas W. Smith
- Yellowstone Center for Resources, Mammoth Hot Springs, Yellowstone National Park, WY 82190, USA
| | - John M. Syslo
- Montana Cooperative Fishery Research Unit, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT 59717, USA
| | - Patrick J. White
- Yellowstone Center for Resources, Mammoth Hot Springs, Yellowstone National Park, WY 82190, USA
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9
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Gygax M, Rentsch AK, Rudman SM, Rennison DJ. Differential predation alters pigmentation in threespine stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus). J Evol Biol 2018; 31:1589-1598. [PMID: 30055069 DOI: 10.1111/jeb.13354] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2017] [Accepted: 07/10/2018] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Animal pigmentation plays a key role in many biological interactions, including courtship and predator avoidance. Sympatric benthic and limnetic ecotypes of threespine stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus) exhibit divergent pigment patterns. To test whether differential predation by cutthroat trout contributes to the differences in pigmentation seen between the ecotypes, we used a within-generation selection experiment on F2 benthic-limnetic hybrids. After 10 months of differential selection, we compared the pigmentation of fish under trout predation to control fish not exposed to trout predation. We found that stickleback exhibited more lateral barring in ponds with trout predation. Ponds with trout were also less turbid, and a greater degree of barring was negatively correlated with the magnitude of turbidity across pond replicates. A more benthic diet, a proxy for habitat use, was also correlated with greater lateral barring and green dorsal pigmentation. These patterns suggest that differential exposure to cutthroat trout predation may explain the divergence in body pigmentation between benthic and limnetic ecotypes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michelle Gygax
- Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Ana K Rentsch
- Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Seth M Rudman
- Department of Zoology and Biodiversity Research Centre, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.,Department of Biology, University of Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania, PA, USA
| | - Diana J Rennison
- Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.,Department of Zoology and Biodiversity Research Centre, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
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10
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Samuk K, Xue J, Rennision DJ. Exposure to predators does not lead to the evolution of larger brains in experimental populations of threespine stickleback. Evolution 2018; 72:916-929. [PMID: 29392719 DOI: 10.1111/evo.13444] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2017] [Revised: 01/18/2018] [Accepted: 01/21/2018] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
Natural selection is often invoked to explain differences in brain size among vertebrates. However, the particular agents of selection that shape brain size variation remain obscure. Recent studies suggest that predators may select for larger brains because increased cognitive and sensory abilities allow prey to better elude predators. Yet, there is little direct evidence that exposure to predators causes the evolution of larger brains in prey species. We experimentally tested this prediction by exposing families of 1000-2000 F2 hybrid benthic-limnetic threespine stickleback to predators under naturalistic conditions, along with matched controls. After two generations of selection, we found that fish from the predator addition treatment had significantly smaller brains (specifically smaller telencephalons and optic lobes) than fish from the control treatment. After an additional generation of selection, we reared experimental fish in a common environment and found that this difference in brain size was maintained in the offspring of fish from the predator addition treatment. Our results provide direct experimental evidence that (a) predators can indeed drive the evolution of brain size--but not in the fashion commonly expected and (b) that the tools of experimental evolution can be used to the study the evolution of the vertebrate brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kieran Samuk
- Department of Biology, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina 27708
| | - Jan Xue
- Department of Zoology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada
| | - Diana J Rennision
- Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
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