Coevolution Theory Research Articles

Large scale geographic clines of parasite damage to Populus tremula L.

According to the geographic mosaic theory of coevolution (GMTC), clines of traits reflecting local co‐adaptation (including resistance genes) should be common between a host and its parasite and should persist across time. To test the GMTC‐assumption of persistent clinal patterns we compared the natural prevalence of two parasites on aspen Populus tremula trees: mining moths of the genus Phyllocnistis and leaf rust Melampsora spp. Damage data were collated from the Swedish National Forest Damage Inventory (2004–2006). In addition, occurrence of the parasites was scored in field conditions in two common gardens in the north and south of Sweden over five growing seasons (2004–2008), then related to biomass (stem height and diameter) and to concentrations of eleven leaf phenolics. Phyllocnistis mainly occurred in the northern garden, a distribution range which was confirmed by the countrywide inventory, although Phyllocnistis was more abundant on southern clones, providing evidence for possible local maladaptation. Melampsora occurred all over the country and in both gardens, but built up more quickly on northern clones, which suggests a centre of local clone maladaptation in the north. Stem growth also followed a clinal pattern as did the concentration of three phenolic compounds: benzoic acid, catechin and cinnamic acid. However, only benzoic acid was related to parasite presence: negatively to Phyllocnistis and positively to Melampsora and it could thus be a potential trait under selection.In conclusion, clines of Phyllocnistis were stronger and more persistent compared to Melampsora, which showed contrasting clines of varying strength. Our data thus support the assumption of the GMTC model that clines exist in the border between hot and cold spots and that they may be less persistent for parasites with an elevated gene flow, and/or for parasites which cover relatively larger hot spots surrounded by fewer cold spots.

Ongoing coevolution in mycorrhizal interactions

Coevolution can be a potent force in maintaining and generating biological diversity. Although coevolution is likely to have played a key role in the early development of mycorrhizal interactions, it is unclear how important coevolutionary processes are for ongoing trait evolution in those interactions. Empirical studies have shown that candidate coevolving traits, such as mycorrhizal colonization intensity, exhibit substantial heritable genetic variation within plant and fungal species and are influenced by plant genotype x fungal genotype interactions, suggesting the potential for ongoing coevolutionary selection. Selective source analysis (SSA) could be employed to build on these results, testing explicitly for ongoing coevolutionary selection and analyzing the influence of community context on local coevolutionary selection. Recent empirical studies suggest the potential for coevolution to drive adaptive differentiation among populations of plants and fungi, but further studies, especially using SSA in the context of field reciprocal transplant experiments, are needed to determine the importance of coevolutionary selection compared with nonreciprocal selection on species traits.

How specialists can be generalists: resolving the “parasite paradox” and implications for emerging infectious disease

The parasite paradox arises from the dual observations that parasites (broadly construed, including phy- tophagous insects) are resource specialists with restricted host ranges, and yet shifts onto relatively unrelated hosts are common in the phylogenetic diversification of parasite lineages and directly observable in ecological time. We synthe- size the emerging solution to this paradox: phenotypic flexibility and phylogenetic conservatism in traits related to resource use, grouped under the term ecological fitting, provide substantial opportunities for rapid host switching in changing environments, in the absence of the evolution of novel host-utilization capabilities. We discuss mechanisms behind ecological fitting, its implications for defining specialists and generalists, and briefly review empirical examples of host shifts in the context of ecological fitting. We conclude that host shifts via ecological fitting provide the fuel for the expansion phase of the recently proposed oscillation hypothesis of host range and speciation, and, more generally, the generation of novel combinations of interacting species within the geographic mosaic theory of coevolution. Finally, we conclude that taxon pulses, driven by climate change and large-scale ecological perturbation are drivers of biotic mixing and resultant ecological fitting, which leads to increased rates of rapid host switching, including the agents of Emerging Infectious Disease.

When Is Correlation Coevolution?

Studying the correlation between traits of interacting species has long been a popular approach for identifying putative cases of coevolution. More recently, such approaches have been used as a means to evaluate support for the geographic mosaic theory of coevolution. Here we examine the utility of these approaches, using mathematical and computational models to predict the correlation that evolves between traits of interacting species for a broad range of interaction types. Our results reveal that coevolution is neither a necessary nor a sufficient condition for the evolution of spatially correlated traits between two species. Specifically, our results show that coevolutionary selection fails to consistently generate statistically significant correlations and, conversely, that non-coevolutionary processes can readily cause statistically significant correlations to evolve. In addition, our results demonstrate that studies of trait correlations per se cannot be used as evidence either for or against a geographic mosaic process. Taken together, our results suggest that understanding the coevolutionary process in natural populations will require detailed mechanistic studies conducted in multiple populations or the use of more sophisticated statistical approaches that better use information contained in existing data sets.

Evolution of host utilization patterns in the seed beetle genus Mimosestes Bridwell (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Bruchinae)

The evolutionary history of diet breadth expansion and intergeneric host shifts in the seed beetle genus Mimosestes were reconstructed to investigate the process of host range expansion in phytophagous insects. The evolutionary correlation between diet breadth and variation in oviposition behavior of Mimosestes was also examined to estimate the process of generalist evolution within the genus. Ancestral state reconstruction based on a molecular phylogeny inferred from three mitochondrial markers (16S rRNA, 12S rRNA, and COI) and one nuclear marker (EF-1α) revealed that host utilization patterns were shaped by repeated colonizations to novel or pre-adapted host plants. Neither plant genus and species group level host conservatism nor an evolutionary tendency toward specialization was found in the genus, contrary to the expectations of plant–insect co-evolutionary theory. In addition, statistical analyses revealed that diet breadth was significantly correlated with oviposition behavior, suggesting that behavioral factors such as the oviposition preferences of female seed beetles affect the expansion of diet breadth in generalists.

Study of the genetic code adaptability by means of a genetic algorithm

We used simulated evolution to study the adaptability level of the canonical genetic code. An adapted genetic algorithm (GA) searches for optimal hypothetical codes. Adaptability is measured as the average variation of the hydrophobicity that the encoded amino acids undergo when errors or mutations are present in the codons of the hypothetical codes. Different types of mutations and point mutation rates that depend on codon base number are considered in this study. Previous works have used statistical approaches based on randomly generated alternative codes or have used local search techniques to determine an optimum value. In this work, we emphasize what can be concluded from the use of simulated evolution considering the results of previous works. The GA provides more information about the difficulty of the evolution of codes, without contradicting previous studies using statistical or engineering approaches. The GA also shows that, within the coevolution theory, the third base clearly improves the adaptability of the current genetic code.

Evolution Is Not Egalitarian

Previous articleNext article No AccessComment: Intergenerational Wealth Transmission and Inequality in Premodern SocietiesEvolution Is Not EgalitarianMark V. Flinn Mark V. FlinnDepartment of Anthropology, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri 65211, U.S.A. ([email protected]). 21 X 09 Search for more articles by this author Department of Anthropology, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri 65211, U.S.A. ([email protected]). 21 X 09PDFPDF PLUSFull Text Add to favoritesDownload CitationTrack CitationsPermissionsReprints Share onFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail SectionsMoreDetailsFiguresReferencesCited by Current Anthropology Volume 51, Number 1February 2010 Sponsored by the Wenner-Gren Foundation for Anthropological Research Article DOIhttps://doi.org/10.1086/649565 Views: 70Total views on this site Citations: 3Citations are reported from Crossref © 2010 by The Wenner‐Gren Foundation for Anthropological Research. All rights reserved.PDF download Crossref reports the following articles citing this article:Gennady Shkliarevsky In Quest for Justice: Solving the Problem of Inclusion and Equality, SSRN Electronic Journal 551 (Jan 2021).https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3862630Nikolay N. Kradin Heterarchy and Hierarchy in Eurasian Steppes, (Sep 2020): 185–204.https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-51437-2_8Anthony Walsh, Ilhong Yun Evoked Culture and Evoked Nature: The Promise of Gene-Culture Co-Evolution Theory for Sociology, Frontiers in Sociology 1 (Jul 2016).https://doi.org/10.3389/fsoc.2016.00008

Origin of the cell nucleus, mitosis and sex: roles of intracellular coevolution.

BackgroundThe transition from prokaryotes to eukaryotes was the most radical change in cell organisation since life began, with the largest ever burst of gene duplication and novelty. According to the coevolutionary theory of eukaryote origins, the fundamental innovations were the concerted origins of the endomembrane system and cytoskeleton, subsequently recruited to form the cell nucleus and coevolving mitotic apparatus, with numerous genetic eukaryotic novelties inevitable consequences of this compartmentation and novel DNA segregation mechanism. Physical and mutational mechanisms of origin of the nucleus are seldom considered beyond the long-standing assumption that it involved wrapping pre-existing endomembranes around chromatin. Discussions on the origin of sex typically overlook its association with protozoan entry into dormant walled cysts and the likely simultaneous coevolutionary, not sequential, origin of mitosis and meiosis.ResultsI elucidate nuclear and mitotic coevolution, explaining the origins of dicer and small centromeric RNAs for positionally controlling centromeric heterochromatin, and how 27 major features of the cell nucleus evolved in four logical stages, making both mechanisms and selective advantages explicit: two initial stages (origin of 30 nm chromatin fibres, enabling DNA compaction; and firmer attachment of endomembranes to heterochromatin) protected DNA and nascent RNA from shearing by novel molecular motors mediating vesicle transport, division, and cytoplasmic motility. Then octagonal nuclear pore complexes (NPCs) arguably evolved from COPII coated vesicle proteins trapped in clumps by Ran GTPase-mediated cisternal fusion that generated the fenestrated nuclear envelope, preventing lethal complete cisternal fusion, and allowing passive protein and RNA exchange. Finally, plugging NPC lumens by an FG-nucleoporin meshwork and adopting karyopherins for nucleocytoplasmic exchange conferred compartmentation advantages. These successive changes took place in naked growing cells, probably as indirect consequences of the origin of phagotrophy. The first eukaryote had 1-2 cilia and also walled resting cysts; I outline how encystation may have promoted the origin of meiotic sex. I also explain why many alternative ideas are inadequate.ConclusionNuclear pore complexes are evolutionary chimaeras of endomembrane- and mitosis-related chromatin-associated proteins. The keys to understanding eukaryogenesis are a proper phylogenetic context and understanding organelle coevolution: how innovations in one cell component caused repercussions on others.ReviewersThis article was reviewed by Anthony Poole, Gáspár Jékely and Eugene Koonin.

Challenges facing theories of music and language co-evolution 1

This article discusses several general problems that are encountered in the field of evolutionary musicology, with particular reference to theories that postulate an evolutionary link between musical and linguistic ability. Before addressing some of the most pressing theoretical problems in the field, the article acknowledges the potentially unique contributions that researchers situated in Africa can make to the discussion of the origins of music, given their unique relation to the rich abundance of African palaeo-anthropological, archaeological and ethnographic data. Some of the issues raised include the definition of the term ‘music’, the status of music as some sort of communicative medium for the expression of emotion, musical meaning, musical universals and grammars, and the issue of empirical evidence from other disciplines. 1 This article is based on part of my BMus (Hons) dissertation, completed at Stellenbosch University under the supervision of Winfried Lüdemann, to whom I am indebted for valuable commentary and much assistance in preparing this article. I would also like to thank Stephanus Muller for his assistance with proofreading of the article in its initial stages.

Culture-gene coevolution of individualism-collectivism and the serotonin transporter gene.

Culture–gene coevolutionary theory posits that cultural values have evolved, are adaptive and influence the social and physical environments under which genetic selection operates. Here, we examined the association between cultural values of individualism–collectivism and allelic frequency of the serotonin transporter functional polymorphism (5-HTTLPR) as well as the role this culture–gene association may play in explaining global variability in prevalence of pathogens and affective disorders. We found evidence that collectivistic cultures were significantly more likely to comprise individuals carrying the short (S) allele of the 5-HTTLPR across 29 nations. Results further show that historical pathogen prevalence predicts cultural variability in individualism–collectivism owing to genetic selection of the S allele. Additionally, cultural values and frequency of S allele carriers negatively predict global prevalence of anxiety and mood disorder. Finally, mediation analyses further indicate that increased frequency of S allele carriers predicted decreased anxiety and mood disorder prevalence owing to increased collectivistic cultural values. Taken together, our findings suggest culture–gene coevolution between allelic frequency of 5-HTTLPR and cultural values of individualism–collectivism and support the notion that cultural values buffer genetically susceptible populations from increased prevalence of affective disorders. Implications of the current findings for understanding culture–gene coevolution of human brain and behaviour as well as how this coevolutionary process may contribute to global variation in pathogen prevalence and epidemiology of affective disorders, such as anxiety and depression, are discussed.

Macroevolution and the biological diversity of plants and herbivores.

Terrestrial biodiversity is dominated by plants and the herbivores that consume them, and they are one of the major conduits of energy flow up to higher trophic levels. Here, we address the processes that have generated the spectacular diversity of flowering plants (>300,000 species) and insect herbivores (likely >1 million species). Long-standing macroevolutionary hypotheses have postulated that reciprocal evolution of adaptations and subsequent bursts of speciation have given rise to much of this biodiversity. We critically evaluate various predictions based on this coevolutionary theory. Phylogenetic reconstruction of ancestral states has revealed evidence for escalation in the potency or variety of plant lineages' chemical defenses; however, escalation of defense has been moderated by tradeoffs and alternative strategies (e.g., tolerance or defense by biotic agents). There is still surprisingly scant evidence that novel defense traits reduce herbivory and that such evolutionary novelty spurs diversification. Consistent with the coevolutionary hypothesis, there is some evidence that diversification of herbivores has lagged behind, but has nevertheless been temporally correlated with that of their host-plant clades, indicating colonization and radiation of insects on diversifying plants. However, there is still limited support for the role of host-plant shifts in insect diversification. Finally, a frontier area of research, and a general conclusion of our review, is that community ecology and the long-term evolutionary history of plant and insect diversification are inexorably intertwined.

The Geographic Mosaic of Sex and the Red Queen

The maintenance of sexual reproduction in natural populations is a pressing question for evolutionary biologists. Under the "Red Queen" hypothesis, coevolving parasites reduce the reproductive advantage of asexual reproduction by adapting to infect clonal genotypes after they become locally common. In addition, the "geographic mosaic" theory of coevolution proposes that structured populations of interacting species can produce selection mosaics manifested as coevolutionary "hot spots" and "cold spots". Here, we tested whether a steep, habitat-specific cline in the frequency of sexual reproduction in a freshwater snail could be explained by the existence of hot spots and cold spots for coevolving parasites. We found that the shallow-water margins of lakes, where sexual reproduction is most common, are coevolutionary hot spots, and that deeper habitats are cold spots. These results are consistent with the geographic mosaic theory, in that the intensity of selection resulting from biological interactions can vary sharply in space. The results also support the Red Queen hypothesis, in that sex is associated with coevolutionary hot spots for virulent parasites.

Role of coevolution in generating biological diversity: spatially divergent selection trajectories

The Geographic Mosaic Theory of Coevolution predicts that divergent coevolutionary selection produces genetic differentiation across populations. The 29 studies reviewed here support this hypothesis as they all report spatially diverged selection trajectories which have generated variable outcomes in the interaction traits among populations. This holds for both mutualistic interactions such as those between host plants and their root symbionts, or plants and their pollinators, as well as for antagonistic interactions such as plants and their pathogens or herbivores. Most often, it is the strength of selection that varies across landscapes. Variation may be generated by both the physical environment (namely temperature), and the local community--competitors, parasites, and alternative hosts--that intensify or dilute selection locally for a wide range of species interactions. At its extreme, selection trajectories may be reversed with an antagonistic interaction being commensalistic in some populations and mutualistic in yet others, depending on the local community context. Selection trajectories were found to diverge among continents, but also more locally among neighbouring populations and even within a single population. This result highlights the importance of coevolutionary selection generating biological diversity with far-reaching implications for both biodiversity conservation as well as applied biology.

Local adaptation and maladaptation to pollinators in a generalist geographic mosaic

The Geographic Mosaic Theory of Coevolution predicts the occurrence of mosaics of interaction-mediated local adaptations and maladaptations. Empirical support to this prediction has come mostly from specialist interactions. In contrast, local adaptation is considered highly unlikely in generalist interactions. In this study, we experimentally test local adaptation in a generalist plant-pollinator geographic mosaic, by means of a transplant experiment in which plants coming from two evolutionary hotspots and two coldspots were offered to pollinators at the same four localities. Plants produced in the hotspots attracted more pollinators in all populations, whereas coldspot plants attracted fewer pollinators in all populations. Differences in adaptation were not related to genetic similarity between populations, suggesting that it was mainly due to spatial variation in previous selective regimes. Our experiment provides the first strong support for a spatially structured pattern of adaptation and maladaptation generated by a generalist free-living mutualism.

A geographic selection mosaic in a generalized plant–pollinator–herbivore system

The concept of Selection Mosaic is central to the Geographic Mosaic Theory of Coevolution. Most information on coevolving interactions, however, comes from specialized organisms. In contrast, an accurate understanding of the effect of geographically varying evolutionary dynamics on the evolution of generalist organisms is lacking, although these kinds of organisms are the most frequent in nature. In flowering plants, pollinators and herbivores are important selective agents. In this study we investigate whether a geographic selection mosaic for floral traits in a generalist plant,Erysimum mediohispanicum(Brassicaceae), can be mediated by the interplay of mutualistic and antagonistic interacting organisms. In eight populations we quantified the selection exerted by these organisms on several plant traits. We found significant spatial variation in pollinator assemblage. In different populations, the main pollinators belonged to different functional groups (beeflies, large bees, small bees, and beetles). Damage by ungulates also varied among populations. Consequently, we found that different populations were under different selective regimes, and the traits affected by selection depended on the local interaction intensity with pollinators and mammal herbivores. Some traits, such as flower number and stalk height, were selected similarly in most populations. Other traits, such as corolla diameter and tube length, were selected only in some populations. Finally, we found divergent selection for some traits, such as corolla tube width and corolla shape, which were selected in contrasting directions in different localities. This spatial variation in selective scenarios results in populations with strong selective regimes (hot spots) intermingled with populations with weak selective regimes (cold spots). Four important outcomes emerge from theE. mediohispanicumselection mosaic. (1) Interactions with generalist organisms may produce strong selection. (2) Spatial changes in main pollinators result in divergent selection across populations. (3) Geographic mosaics depend on a balance between mutualistic and antagonistic selection. (4) Selection mosaics operate at fairly small spatial scales. These findings will surely contribute to expanding the conceptual framework of the Geographic Mosaic Theory of Coevolution.

Locally adapted social parasite affects density, social structure, and life history of its ant hosts

Selection and adaptation are important processes in the coevolution between parasites and their hosts. The slave-making ant Protomognathus americanus, an obligate ant social parasite, has previously been shown to evolve morphological, behavioral, and chemical adaptations in the coevolutionary arms race with its Temnothorax hosts. Yet empirical studies have given variable results on the strength of the selection pressure this parasite exerts on its host populations. In this study, we directly investigated the pressure exerted by P. americanus and the reactions of the main host species, T. longispinosus, in two ant communities by manipulating parasite density in the field over several years. In addition, a cross-fostering design with the exchange of parasites between host populations allowed us to investigate local adaptation of parasite or host. We demonstrate a severe impact of the social parasite on the two host populations in West Virginia and New York, but also variation in host reactions between sites, as expected by the geographic mosaic theory of coevolution. Host density decreased at the West Virginia site with the presence of local slave-makers, whereas at the ecologically favorable New York site, density was unaffected. Nevertheless, social organization, colony size, and investment patterns of these host colonies at this site changed in response to our parasite manipulation. The release of P. americanus colonies led to a reduction in the number of resident queens and workers, an increase in intranest relatedness, and lower productivity, but also a higher investment in reproductives. In West Virginia, colony demography did not change, but raiding activity by New York slave-makers caused different investment patterns of host colonies. In addition, the cross-fostering element revealed local adaptation of the parasite P. americanus: slave-making colonies fared better in their sympatric host population, as they contained more slave-making ant workers and slaves at the end of our 27-month experiment.

Sexuelle Selektion und ökologische Differenzierung*

Sexual selection and ecological differentiation The emphasis of this contribution is a synthesis of the concepts of sexual selection, ecological differentiation (= niche shift) and the phylogenetic patterns of the evolution of the internal fertilization, the gonochorism and the differences of species diversity of taxa of the metazoa. This synthesis leads to the suggestion that sexual selection has been crucial in the remarkable differences in the species richness of different taxa. A comparison of taxa that are descendend from stem species without or, respectively, with internal fertilization, clearly indicates that the latter are composed of much more species. However, internal fertilization is a sufficient prerequisite of sexual selection. Therefore, most probably sexual reproduction (a necessary prerequisite of sexual selection) is not a subject to the caprice of fortune, but a highly sophisticated trade over quality of mates. Due to the genetic correlation between heritable quality indicators (= sexual signals) and heritable phenotypic quality, the tempo of ecological differentiation by sexual selection increases 1. if the quality indicator increases with phenotypic and genetic quality and costs depends on advertisement and 2. if it pays in terms of increased fitness to mate with high quality mates. Therefore, adaptive radiation is more likely in taxonomic groups that are descended from stem species with internal fertilization or external fertilization, but a highly sophisticated mating behaviour, than in taxa with stem species which reproduce only by ancestral external fertilization. This synthesis of phylogenetic patterns in the diversity of species established over long periods of macroevolution and a set of experimental data says something about the nature of the selection forces operating in the coevolution of species and is therefore, a first step towards bridging the gap between observation of historical events an the lack of theory of coevolution.

Role and functions of beneficial microorganisms in sustainable aquaculture

This paper aims to review the development of scientific concepts of microecology and ecology of microbes and the role and functions of beneficial microorganisms in aquaculture and mariculture. Beneficial microorganisms play a great role in natural and man-made aquatic ecosystems based on the co-evolution theory in living biosphere on earth. Their functions are to adjust algal population in water bodies so as to avoid unwanted algal bloom; to speed up decomposition of organic matter and to reduce CODmn, NH 3–N and NO 2–N in water and sediments so as to improve water quality; to suppress fish/shrimp diseases and water-borne pathogens; to enhance immune system of cultured aquatic animals and to produce bioactive compounds such as vitamins, hormones and enzymes that stimulate growth, thus to decrease the FCR of feed.

Within-population genetic variability in mycorrhizal interactions

The geographic mosaic theory of coevolution hypothesizes that natural selection on species interactions varies among ecosystems, partly because the genes involved in species interactions differ in their fitness effects among environments. This selection mosaic may be expressed, at the extreme, as ecological outcomes ranging from mutualism to parasitism among environments. In a recent laboratory experiment on the interaction between a plant, bishop pine (Pinus muricata), and a root-symbiotic ectomycorrhizal fungus, Rhizopogon occidentalis, we demonstrated the potential for selection mosaics in that interaction, and the existence of substantial within-population genetic variation for symbiotic compatibility in the interaction. Here, we present the results from a second experiment on the interaction between the same ectomycorrhizal fungus and a different plant, shore pine (Pinus contorta var. contorta), designed to test for the presence of genetic variation for symbiotic compatibility in another similar system, and also to test whether such variation might be generated in part by adaptation of fungal lineages to individual trees. In this experiment, we found no genetic variation among plant lineages for compatibility with the fungal symbiont, and no evidence for adaptation of fungal lineages to individual plants, but the two fungal genotypes differed greatly in their compatibility with the plant hosts. Specifically, one of the two fungal genotypes not only colonized host plants less intensively than the other, but also had a negative effect on plant growth. Altogether, these results suggest the potential for ongoing natural selection on the ectomycorrhizal fungus, R. occidentalis, for different levels of symbiotic compatibility with particular pine hosts, but the mechanisms generating and maintaining genetic variation for symbiotic compatibility remain unclear. Such results will aid in efforts to develop realistic models of how plants and their symbionts coevolve over broad geographic ranges in which they co-occur.

Origin and evolution of the genetic code: The universal enigma

AbstractThe expansion of the standard code according to the coevolution theory. Phase 1 amino acids are orange, and phase 2 amino acids are green. The numbers show the order of amino acid appearance in the code according to (99). The arrows define 13 precursor‐product pairs of amino acids, their color defines the biosynthetic families of Glu (blue), Asp (dark‐green), Phe (magenta), Ser (red), and Val (light‐green). See Origin and Evolution of the Genetic Code: The Universal Enigma by Koonin and Novozhilov, pp. 99‐111.