Abstract
Environments that vary within a generation of an organism provide opportunities for adaptation if the level of variation is severe and predictable. We describe a model of evolution in such environments with genotypes that show trade-offs in viability and fecundity. One genotype develops rapidly and has superior viability but reduced fertility relative to the alternative genotype. Conditions that allow the evolution of the rapidly developing genotypes are explored. We show how the evolution of ovoviviparity and resource specialization in Drosophila sechellia shares many important features of this model. We suggest that our model may capture many of the evolutionary forces responsible for the evolution of niche specialization and ovoviviparity seen in D. sechellia.
Highlights
The study of the evolution of life histories in animals has been an important cornerstone of evolutionary biology (Roff 1992; Stearns 1992)
We suggest that our model may capture many of the evolutionary forces responsible for the evolution of niche specialization and ovoviviparity seen in D. sechellia
The theory we have described for the evolution of ovoviviparity in D. sechellia could be tested with a species like D. melanogaster by selecting for early egg hatch
Summary
Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Irvine, California 92697 Submitted February 17, 2015; Accepted July 22, 2015; Electronically published October 14, 2015 abstract: Environments that vary within a generation of an organism provide opportunities for adaptation if the level of variation is severe and predictable. We describe a model of evolution in such environments with genotypes that show trade-offs in viability and fecundity. One genotype develops rapidly and has superior viability but reduced fertility relative to the alternative genotype. Conditions that allow the evolution of the rapidly developing genotypes are explored. We show how the evolution of ovoviviparity and resource specialization in Drosophila sechellia shares many important features of this model. We suggest that our model may capture many of the evolutionary forces responsible for the evolution of niche specialization and ovoviviparity seen in D. sechellia. Keywords: Drosophila sechellia, ovoviviparity, temporal variation, natural selection.
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