Study Of Eco-evolutionary Dynamics Research Articles

Beyond simple adaptation: Incorporating other evolutionary processes and concepts into eco-evolutionary dynamics.

Studies of eco-evolutionary dynamics have integrated evolution with ecological processes at multiple scales (populations, communities and ecosystems) and with multiple interspecific interactions (antagonistic, mutualistic and competitive). However, evolution has often been conceptualised as a simple process: short-term directional adaptation that increases population growth. Here we argue that diverse other evolutionary processes, well studied in population genetics and evolutionary ecology, should also be considered to explore the full spectrum of feedback between ecological and evolutionary processes. Relevant but underappreciated processes include (1) drift and mutation, (2) disruptive selection causing lineage diversification or speciation reversal and (3) evolution driven by relative fitness differences that may decrease population growth. Because eco-evolutionary dynamics have often been studied by population and community ecologists, it will be important to incorporate a variety of concepts in population genetics and evolutionary ecology to better understand and predict eco-evolutionary dynamics in nature.

SEED: A framework for integrating ecological stoichiometry and eco-evolutionary dynamics.

Characterising the extent and sources of intraspecific variation and their ecological consequences is a central challenge in the study of eco-evolutionary dynamics. Ecological stoichiometry, which uses elemental variation of organisms and their environment to understand ecosystem patterns and processes, can be a powerful framework for characterising eco-evolutionary dynamics. However, the current emphasis on the relative content of elements in the body (i.e. organismal stoichiometry) has constrained its application. Intraspecific variation in the rates at which elements are acquired, assimilated, allocated or lost is often greater than the variation in organismal stoichiometry. There is much to gain from studying these traits together as components of an 'elemental phenotype'. Furthermore, each of these traits can have distinct ecological effects that are underappreciated in the current literature. We propose a conceptual framework that explores how microevolutionary change in the elemental phenotype occurs, how its components interact with each other and with other traits, and how its changes can affect a wide range of ecological processes. We demonstrate how the framework can be used to generate novel hypotheses and outline pathways for future research that enhance our ability to explain, analyse and predict eco-evolutionary dynamics.

Importance of interindividual interactions in eco-evolutionary population dynamics: The rise of demo-genetic agent-based models.

The study of eco-evolutionary dynamics, that is of the intertwinning between ecological and evolutionary processes when they occur at comparable time scales, is of growing interest in the current context of global change. However, many eco-evolutionary studies overlook the role of interindividual interactions, which are hard to predict and yet central to selective values. Here, we aimed at putting forward models that simulate interindividual interactions in an eco-evolutionary framework: the demo-genetic agent-based models (DG-ABMs). Being demo-genetic, DG-ABMs consider the feedback loop between ecological and evolutionary processes. Being agent-based, DG-ABMs follow populations of interacting individuals with sets of traits that vary among the individuals. We argue that the ability of DG-ABMs to take into account the genetic heterogeneity-that affects individual decisions/traits related to local and instantaneous conditions-differentiates them from analytical models, another type of model largely used by evolutionary biologists to investigate eco-evolutionary feedback loops. Based on the review of studies employing DG-ABMs and explicitly or implicitly accounting for competitive, cooperative or reproductive interactions, we illustrate that DG-ABMs are particularly relevant for the exploration of fundamental, yet pressing, questions in evolutionary ecology across various levels of organization. By jointly modelling the effects of management practices and other eco-evolutionary processes on interindividual interactions and population dynamics, DG-ABMs are also effective prospective and decision support tools to evaluate the short- and long-term evolutionary costs and benefits of management strategies and to assess potential trade-offs. Finally, we provide a list of the recent practical advances of the ABM community that should facilitate the development of DG-ABMs.

A matrix model for density-dependent selection in stage-classified populations, with application to pesticide resistance in Tribolium

The study of eco-evolutionary dynamics is based on the idea that ecological and evolutionary processes may operate on the same, or very similar, time scales, and that interactions of ecological and evolutionary processes may have important consequences. Here we develop a model that combines Mendelian population genetics with nonlinear demography to create a truly eco-evolutionary model. We use the vec-permutation matrix approach, classifying individuals by stage and genotype. The demographic component is female dominant and density-dependent. The genetic component includes random mating by stage and genotype, and arbitrary effects of genotype on the demographic phenotype. Mutation is neglected. The result is a nonlinear matrix population model that projects the stage × genotype distribution. We show that the results can include bifurcations of population dynamics driven by the response to selection. We present analytical criteria that determine whether one allele excludes the other or if they persist in a protected polymorphism. The results are based on local stability analysis of the homozygous boundary equilibria.As an example, we use a density-dependent stage-classified model of the flour beetle Tribolium castaneum. Our model permits arbitrary life-cycle complexity and nonlinearity. Tribolium has developed resistance to the pesticide malathion due to a dominant allele at a single autosomal locus. Using parameters reported from laboratory experiments, we show that the model successfully describes the dynamics of both resistant and susceptible homozygotes, and the outcome of a selection experiment containing both alleles. Stability analysis of the boundary equilibria confirms that the resistant allele excludes the susceptible allele, even in the absence of malathion, agreeing with previously reported results.

Male Red-crested Cardinal plumage coloration is associated with parental abilities and breeding performance

Avian plumage coloration deriving from carotenoid-based pigments is among the most honest signals of individual quality. It has been argued that females may differentially allocate resources based on mate attractiveness or quality, paying the costs of investing more in a current breeding attempt. We tested predictions of the differential allocation hypothesis on the natural variation of carotenoid-based plumage using the brightly red-colored head plumage of the Red-crested Cardinal (Paroaria coronata). It is to our knowledge the first time this hypothesis is tested on the natural variation of this pigment on a wild bird. We found that the brightness of the males’ red plumage patch is positively associated with their reproductive success and the nest defence they provide. We also found that brighter males invest less in their offspring (by delivering less food to their nestlings and poorly cleaning the nest) than duller males and, by contrast, females mated with brighter males invest more in parental care. Our results are consistent with the differential allocation hypothesis: differential allocation allowed breeding pairs with brighter males to produce more offspring, suggesting that it can be considered adaptive and should be included in studies of eco-evolutionary dynamics.

How Fishes Can Help Us Answer Important Questions about the Ecological Consequences of Evolution

Much of the recent progress in the study of eco-evolutionary dynamics has occurred in fish models. In this review, I focus specifically on the mechanisms by which fish evolution affects ecological processes, highlighting outstanding questions and new frontiers. Fish evolution can alter the ecology of individuals by changing traits that underlie resource use or interactions with other species. Fish eco-evolutionary studies have focused on the ecological consequences of two kinds of effect traits (trophic traits and nutrient recycling traits), but questions remain about the relative influences of genetic and environmental factors. Other fish traits might also have large ecological effects, but we lack frameworks for identifying them, and it remains difficult to link the traits to their ecological consequences. The effect of fish evolution also depends on changes in fish populations, which might vary because of genetic or by environmental factors. Such changes can have dramatic impacts on the expression of e...

Key questions in the genetics and genomics of eco-evolutionary dynamics

Increasing acceptance that evolution can be 'rapid' (or 'contemporary') has generated growing interest in the consequences for ecology. The genetics and genomics of these 'eco-evolutionary dynamics' will be--to a large extent--the genetics and genomics of organismal phenotypes. In the hope of stimulating research in this area, I review empirical data from natural populations and draw the following conclusions. (1) Considerable additive genetic variance is present for most traits in most populations. (2) Trait correlations do not consistently oppose selection. (3) Adaptive differences between populations often involve dominance and epistasis. (4) Most adaptation is the result of genes of small-to-modest effect, although (5) some genes certainly have larger effects than the others. (6) Adaptation by independent lineages to similar environments is mostly driven by different alleles/genes. (7) Adaptation to new environments is mostly driven by standing genetic variation, although new mutations can be important in some instances. (8) Adaptation is driven by both structural and regulatory genetic variation, with recent studies emphasizing the latter. (9) The ecological effects of organisms, considered as extended phenotypes, are often heritable. Overall, the study of eco-evolutionary dynamics will benefit from perspectives and approaches that emphasize standing genetic variation in many genes of small-to-modest effect acting across multiple traits and that analyze overall adaptation or 'fitness'. In addition, increasing attention should be paid to dominance, epistasis and regulatory variation.