scholarly journals Life history and dispersal timing evolve in response to metapopulation connectedness

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stefano Masier ◽  
Dries Bonte
Keyword(s):  
Life History ◽  
Evolutionary Dynamics ◽  
Local Level ◽  
Life History Evolution ◽  
Structured Populations ◽  
Demographic Traits ◽  
Local Selection ◽  
And Performance ◽  
Interpatch Distance ◽  
Dispersal Evolution

AbstractDispersal evolution impacts the fluxes of individuals and hence, connectivity in metapopulations. Connectivity is therefore decoupled from the structural connectedness of the patches within the spatial network. Because of demographic feedbacks, local selection can additionally steer the evolution of other life history traits. We investigated how different levels of connectedness affect dispersal and life history evolution by varying the interpatch distance in replicated experimental metapopulations of the two-spotted spider. We implemented a shuffling treatment to separate local- and metapopulation-level selection.With lower metapopulation connectedness, an increased starvation resistance and delayed dispersal evolved. Intrinsic growth rates evolved at the local level by transgenerational plasticity or epigenetic processes. Changes in patch connectedness thus induce the genetic and non-genetic evolution of dispersal costs and demographic traits at both the local and metapopulation level. These trait changes are anticipated to impact metapopulations eco-evolutionary dynamics, and hence, the persistence and performance of spatially structured populations.

scholarly journals The importance and adaptive value of life history evolution for metapopulation dynamics

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dries Bonte ◽  
Quinten Bafort
Keyword(s):  
Life History ◽  
Evolutionary Dynamics ◽  
Local Density ◽  
Life History Evolution ◽  
Individual Performance ◽  
Structured Populations ◽  
Metapopulation Dynamics ◽  
Systems Modelling ◽  
Metapopulation Persistence ◽  
History Evolution

1. The spatial configuration and size of patches influence metapopulation dynamics by altering colonisation-extinction dynamics and local density-dependency. This spatial forcing as determined by the metapopulation typology then imposes strong selection pressures on life history traits, which will in turn feedback on the ecological metapopulation dynamics. Given the relevance of metapopulation persistence for biological conservation, and the potential rescuing role of evolution, a firm understanding of the relevance of these eco-evolutionary processes is essential. 2. We here follow a systems modelling approach to quantify the importance of spatial forcing and experimentally observed life history evolution for metapopulation demography as quantified by (meta)population size and variability. We therefore developed an individual based model matching an earlier experimental evolution with spider mites to perform virtual translocation and invasion experiments that would have been otherwise impossible to conduct. 3. We show that (1) metapopulation demography is more affected by spatial forcing than by life history evolution, but that life history evolution contributes substantially to changes in local and especially metapopulation-level population sizes, (2) extinction rates are minimised by evolution in classical metapopulations, and (3) evolution is optimising individual performance in metapopulations when considering the importance of more cryptic stress resistance evolution. 4. Ecological systems modelling opens up a promising avenue to quantify the importance of eco-evolutionary feedbacks for larger-scale population dynamics. Metapopulation sizes are especially impacted by evolution but its variability is mainly determined by the spatial forcing. 5. Eco-evolutionary dynamics can increase the persistence of classical metapopulations. The maintenance of evolutionary dynamics in spatially structured populations is thus not only essential in the face of environmental change; it also generates feedbacks that impact metapopulation persistence.

Daphnia as a Model for Eco-evolutionary Dynamics

2018 ◽  
pp. 403-424
Author(s):  
Matthew R. Walsh ◽  
Michelle Packer ◽  
Shannon Beston ◽  
Collin Funkhouser ◽  
Michael Gillis ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Life History ◽  
Evolutionary Dynamics ◽  
Model Organism ◽  
Life History Evolution ◽  
Ecological Processes ◽  
Evolutionary Forces ◽  
Evolutionary Changes ◽  
History Evolution ◽  
Ecological Importance ◽  
The Many

Much research has shown that variation in ecological processes can drive rapid evolutionary changes over periods of years to decades. Such contemporary adaptation sets the stage for evolution to have reciprocal impacts on the properties of populations, communities, and ecosystems, with ongoing interactions between ecological and evolutionary forces. The importance and generality of these eco-evolutionary dynamics are largely unknown. In this chapter, we promote the use of water fleas (Daphnia sp.) as a model organism in the exploration of eco-evolutionary interactions in nature. The many characteristics of Daphnia that make them suitable for laboratory study in conjunction with their well-known ecological importance in lakes, position Daphnia to contribute new and important insights into eco-evolutionary dynamics. We first review the influence of key environmental stressors in Daphnia evolution. We then highlight recent work documenting the pathway from life history evolution to ecology using Daphnia as a model. This review demonstrates that much is known about the influence of ecology on Daphnia life history evolution, while research exploring the genomic basis of adaptation as well as the influence of Daphnia life history traits on ecological processes is beginning to accumulate.

scholarly journals Saturating effects of species diversity on life-history evolution in bacteria

2015 ◽  
Vol 282 (1815) ◽  
pp. 20151794 ◽  
Author(s):  
Francesca Fiegna ◽  
Thomas Scheuerl ◽  
Alejandra Moreno-Letelier ◽  
Thomas Bell ◽  
Timothy G. Barraclough
Keyword(s):  
Life History ◽  
Species Richness ◽  
Species Interactions ◽  
Evolutionary Dynamics ◽  
Life History Evolution ◽  
Relative Strength ◽  
Recent Theory ◽  
Mechanistic Models ◽  
As Species ◽  
Diverse Communities

Species interactions can play a major role in shaping evolution in new environments. In theory, species interactions can either stimulate evolution by promoting coevolution or inhibit evolution by constraining ecological opportunity. The relative strength of these effects should vary as species richness increases, and yet there has been little evidence for evolution of component species in communities. We evolved bacterial microcosms containing between 1 and 12 species in three different environments. Growth rates and yields of isolates that evolved in communities were lower than those that evolved in monocultures, consistent with recent theory that competition constrains species to specialize on narrower sets of resources. This effect saturated or reversed at higher levels of richness, consistent with theory that directional effects of species interactions should weaken in more diverse communities. Species varied considerably, however, in their responses to both environment and richness levels. Mechanistic models and experiments are now needed to understand and predict joint evolutionary dynamics of species in diverse communities.

scholarly journals Between migration load and evolutionary rescue: dispersal, adaptation and the response of spatially structured populations to environmental change

2014 ◽  
Vol 281 (1778) ◽  
pp. 20132795 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elizabeth C. Bourne ◽  
Greta Bocedi ◽  
Justin M. J. Travis ◽  
Robin J. Pakeman ◽  
Rob W. Brooker ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Evolutionary Dynamics ◽  
Structured Populations ◽  
Evolutionary Potential ◽  
Beneficial Effects ◽  
Individual Fitness ◽  
Spatially Structured Populations ◽  
Local Selection ◽  
Evolutionary Response ◽  
Evolutionary Rescue ◽  
Opposing Effects

The evolutionary potential of populations is mainly determined by population size and available genetic variance. However, the adaptability of spatially structured populations may also be affected by dispersal: positively by spreading beneficial mutations across sub-populations, but negatively by moving locally adapted alleles between demes. We develop an individual-based, two-patch, allelic model to investigate the balance between these opposing effects on a population's evolutionary response to rapid climate change. Individual fitness is controlled by two polygenic traits coding for local adaptation either to the environment or to climate. Under conditions of selection that favour the evolution of a generalist phenotype (i.e. weak divergent selection between patches) dispersal has an overall positive effect on the persistence of the population. However, when selection favours locally adapted specialists, the beneficial effects of dispersal outweigh the associated increase in maladaptation for a narrow range of parameter space only (intermediate selection strength and low linkage among loci), where the spread of beneficial climate alleles is not strongly hampered by selection against non-specialists. Given that local selection across heterogeneous and fragmented landscapes is common, the complex effect of dispersal that we describe will play an important role in determining the evolutionary dynamics of many species under rapidly changing climate.

scholarly journals AEGIS: An In Silico Tool to model Genome Evolution in Age-Structured Populations

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
William J. Bradshaw ◽  
Arian Šajina ◽  
Dario Riccardo Valenzano
Keyword(s):  
Life History ◽  
In Silico ◽  
Evolutionary Biology ◽  
Life History Evolution ◽  
Structured Populations ◽  
Time Simulation ◽  
Sexual And Asexual Reproduction ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Survival And Reproduction ◽  
Age Structured

AbstractAEGIS (Ageing of Evolving Genomes In Silico) is a versatile population-genetics numerical-simulation tool that enables the evolution of life history trajectories under sexual and asexual reproduction and a wide variety of evolutionary constraints. By encoding age-specific survival and reproduction probabilities as discrete genomic elements, AEGIS allows these probabilities to evolve freely and independently over time. Simulation of population evolution with AEGIS demonstrates that ageing-like phenotypes evolve in stable environments under a wide range of conditions, that life history trajectories depend heavily on mutation rates, and that sexual populations are better able to accumulate high levels of beneficial mutations affecting early-life survival and reproduction. AEGIS is free and open-source, and aims to become a standard reference tool in the study of life-history evolution and the evolutionary biology of ageing.

scholarly journals Life-history evolution of class-structured populations in fluctuating environments

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sébastien Lion ◽  
Sylvain Gandon
Keyword(s):  
Life History ◽  
Competitive Ability ◽  
Life History Traits ◽  
Life History Evolution ◽  
Structured Populations ◽  
New Approach ◽  
Selection Gradients ◽  
Evolution Of Life ◽  
History Evolution

AbstractWhat is the influence of periodic environmental fluctuations on life-history evolution? We present a general theoretical framework to understand and predict the long-term evolution of life-history traits under a broad range of ecological scenarios. Indeed, this analysis yields time-varying selection gradients that help dissect the influence of the fluctuations of the environment on the competitive ability of a specific life-history mutation. We use this framework to analyse the evolution of key life-history traits of pathogens, such as transmission and virulence. These examples reveal how periodic fluctuations of the environment can affect the evolution of pathogens, and illustrate the usefulness and broad applicability of this new approach.

scholarly journals Pathogen evolution: slow and steady spreads the best

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Todd L. Parsons ◽  
Amaury Lambert ◽  
Troy Day ◽  
Sylvain Gandon
Keyword(s):  
Life History ◽  
Population Size ◽  
Evolutionary Dynamics ◽  
Finite Population ◽  
Adaptive Dynamics ◽  
Life History Evolution ◽  
Demographic Stochasticity ◽  
Deterministic Models ◽  
Evolutionary Forces ◽  
History Evolution

AbstractThe theory of life history evolution provides a powerful framework to understand the evolutionary dynamics of pathogens in both epidemic and endemic situations. This framework, however, relies on the assumption that pathogen populations are very large and that one can neglect the effects of demographic stochasticity. Here we expand the theory of life history evolution to account for the effects of finite population size on the evolution of pathogen virulence. We show that demographic stochasticity introduces additional evolutionary forces that can qualitatively affect the dynamics and the evolutionary outcome. We discuss the importance of the shape of pathogen fitness landscape and host heterogeneity on the balance between mutation, selection and genetic drift. In particular, we discuss scenarios where finite population size can dramatically affect classical predictions of deterministic models. This analysis reconciles Adaptive Dynamics with population genetics in finite populations and thus provides a new theoretical toolbox to study life-history evolution in realistic ecological scenarios.

scholarly journals Pathogen evolution in finite populations: slow and steady spreads the best

2018 ◽  
Vol 15 (147) ◽  
pp. 20180135 ◽  
Author(s):  
Todd L. Parsons ◽  
Amaury Lambert ◽  
Troy Day ◽  
Sylvain Gandon
Keyword(s):  
Life History ◽  
Evolutionary Dynamics ◽  
Fitness Landscape ◽  
Adaptive Dynamics ◽  
Life History Evolution ◽  
Demographic Stochasticity ◽  
Finite Populations ◽  
Evolutionary Forces ◽  
Pathogen Fitness ◽  
History Evolution

The theory of life-history evolution provides a powerful framework to understand the evolutionary dynamics of pathogens. It assumes, however, that host populations are large and that one can neglect the effects of demographic stochasticity. Here, we expand the theory to account for the effects of finite population size on the evolution of pathogen virulence. We show that demographic stochasticity introduces additional evolutionary forces that can qualitatively affect the dynamics and the evolutionary outcome. We discuss the importance of the shape of the pathogen fitness landscape on the balance between mutation, selection and genetic drift. This analysis reconciles Adaptive Dynamics with population genetics in finite populations and provides a new theoretical toolbox to study life-history evolution in realistic ecological scenarios.

scholarly journals Spatial selection and local adaptation jointly shape life-history evolution during range expansion

2015 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katrien Van Petegem ◽  
Jeroen Boeye ◽  
Robby Stoks ◽  
Dries Bonte
Keyword(s):  
Life History ◽  
Local Adaptation ◽  
Range Expansion ◽  
Life History Traits ◽  
Evolutionary Dynamics ◽  
Life History Evolution ◽  
Range Shifts ◽  
Evolutionary Processes ◽  
Spatial Selection ◽  
History Evolution

In the context of climate change and species invasions, range shifts increasingly gain attention because the rates at which they occur in the Anthropocene induce fast shifts in biological assemblages. During such range shifts, species experience multiple selection pressures. Especially for poleward expansions, a straightforward interpretation of the observed evolutionary dynamics is hampered because of the joint action of evolutionary processes related to spatial selection and to adaptation towards local climatic conditions. To disentangle the effects of these two processes, we integrated stochastic modeling and empirical approaches, using the spider mite Tetranychus urticae as a model species. We demonstrate considerable latitudinal quantitative genetic divergence in life-history traits in T. urticae, that was shaped by both spatial selection and local adaptation. The former mainly affected dispersal behavior, while development was mainly shaped by adaptation to the local climate. Divergence in life-history traits in species shifting their range poleward can consequently be jointly determined by fast local adaptation to the environmental gradient and contemporary evolutionary dynamics resulting from spatial selection. The integration of modeling with common garden experiments provides a powerful tool to study the contribution of these two evolutionary processes on life-history evolution during range expansion.

scholarly journals Estimating the evolution of human life history traits in age-structured populations

2014 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ryan Baldini
Keyword(s):  
Life History ◽  
Human Life ◽  
Life History Evolution ◽  
Selection Response ◽  
Structured Populations ◽  
Life History Trait ◽  
Vital Rates ◽  
Structured Population ◽  
Age Structured ◽  
Genetic Contributions

I propose a method that estimates the selection response of all vital rates in an age-structured population. I assume that vital rates are determined by the additive genetic contributions of many loci. The method uses all relatedness information in the sample to inform its estimates of genetic parameters, via an MCMC Bayesian framework. One can use the results to estimate the selection response of any life history trait that is a function of the vital rates, including the age at first reproduction, total lifetime fertility, survival to adulthood, and others. This method closely ties the empirical analysis of life history evolution to dynamically complete models of natural selection, and therefore enjoys some theoretical advantages over other methods. I demonstrate the method on a simulated model of evolution with two age classes. Finally I discuss how the method can be extended to more complicated cases.

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