scholarly journals Evolutionary ecology of resistance to herbivory: an investigation of potential genetic constraints in the multiple-herbivore community of Solanum carolinense

2007 ◽  
Vol 175 (4) ◽  
pp. 773-784 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael J. Wise
Keyword(s):  
Evolutionary Ecology ◽  
Solanum Carolinense ◽  
Genetic Constraints ◽  
Resistance To Herbivory ◽  
Herbivore Community

scholarly journals Invasions and extinctions through the looking glass of evolutionary ecology

2017 ◽  
Vol 372 (1712) ◽  
pp. 20160031 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert I. Colautti ◽  
Jake M. Alexander ◽  
Katrina M. Dlugosch ◽  
Stephen R. Keller ◽  
Sonia E. Sultan
Keyword(s):  
Invasive Species ◽  
Endangered Species ◽  
Evolutionary Ecology ◽  
Mutation Load ◽  
Genetic Constraints ◽  
Invading Species ◽  
Evolutionary Context ◽  
Adaptive Phenotypic Plasticity ◽  
Ecological Success ◽  
Novel Environments

Invasive and endangered species reflect opposite ends of a spectrum of ecological success, yet they experience many similar eco-evolutionary challenges including demographic bottlenecks, hybridization and novel environments. Despite these similarities, important differences exist. Demographic bottlenecks are more transient in invasive species, which (i) maintains ecologically relevant genetic variation, (ii) reduces mutation load, and (iii) increases the efficiency of natural selection relative to genetic drift. Endangered species are less likely to benefit from admixture, which offsets mutation load but also reduces fitness when populations are locally adapted. Invading species generally experience more benign environments with fewer natural enemies, which increases fitness directly and also indirectly by masking inbreeding depression. Adaptive phenotypic plasticity can maintain fitness in novel environments but is more likely to evolve in invasive species encountering variable habitats and to be compromised by demographic factors in endangered species. Placed in an eco-evolutionary context, these differences affect the breadth of the ecological niche, which arises as an emergent property of antagonistic selection and genetic constraints. Comparative studies of invasions and extinctions that apply an eco-evolutionary perspective could provide new insights into the environmental and genetic basis of ecological success in novel environments and improve efforts to preserve global biodiversity. This article is part of the themed issue ‘Human influences on evolution, and the ecological and societal consequences’.

The Biology of Lakes and Ponds

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christer Brönmark ◽  
Lars-Anders Hansson
Keyword(s):  
Evolutionary Ecology ◽  
Global Climate ◽  
Biodiversity Loss ◽  
Environmental Threats ◽  
Freshwater Organisms ◽  
Abiotic Constraints ◽  
Abiotic And Biotic Factors ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Degraded Ecosystems ◽  
Behavioural Adaptations

The Biology of Lakes and Ponds focuses on the interactions between the abiotic frame, such as turbulence, temperature, pH and nutrients, and the organisms, including interactions with and among organisms at the individual, population and community level. The book fills this niche between traditional limnology and evolutionary ecology by focusing on physiological, morphological and behavioural adaptations among organisms to abiotic and biotic factors and how interactions between biotic processes and abiotic constraints determine the structure and dynamics of lake and pond systems. In addition, the book describes and analyses the causes and consequences of human activities on freshwater organisms and ecosystems and covers longstanding environmental threats, such as eutrophication and acidification, as well as novel threats, such as biodiversity loss, use of everyday chemicals and global climate change. However, also signs of improvement and the possibilities to restore degraded ecosystems are discussed and provide hope for future generations.

Introduction

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Graeme D. Ruxton ◽  
William L. Allen ◽  
Thomas N. Sherratt ◽  
Michael P. Speed
Keyword(s):  
Evolutionary Ecology ◽  
The State ◽  
Warning Signals ◽  
The Many

In 2004, the first edition of ‘Avoiding Attack: The Evolutionary Ecology of Crypsis, Warning Signals, and Mimicry’ by Ruxton et al. was published. The book aimed to provide a systematic and up-to-date review and synthesis of widespread anti-predator defences. In it, we focussed on sensorially mediated defences and the many factors that underpin these adaptations, aiming to set out the state-of-understanding in the fascinating world of anti-predator adaptations, and highlight which topics within the field seem most ripe for further investigation....

scholarly journals Recombination and Gene Conversion in a 170-kb Genomic Region of Arabidopsis thaliana

Genetics ◽  
2002 ◽  
Vol 161 (3) ◽  
pp. 1269-1278 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bernhard Haubold ◽  
Jürgen Kroymann ◽  
Andreas Ratzka ◽  
Thomas Mitchell-Olds ◽  
Thomas Wiehe
Keyword(s):  
Genetic Diversity ◽  
Arabidopsis Thaliana ◽  
Linkage Disequilibrium ◽  
Gene Conversion ◽  
Genomic Sequence ◽  
Genomic Region ◽  
Resistance To Herbivory ◽  
Linkage Disequilibria ◽  
Coalescent Simulations ◽  
The Mean

Abstract Arabidopsis thaliana is a highly selfing plant that nevertheless appears to undergo substantial recombination. To reconcile its selfing habit with the observations of recombination, we have sampled the genetic diversity of A. thaliana at 14 loci of ~500 bp each, spread across 170 kb of genomic sequence centered on a QTL for resistance to herbivory. A total of 170 of the 6321 nucleotides surveyed were polymorphic, with 169 being biallelic. The mean silent genetic diversity (πs) varied between 0.001 and 0.03. Pairwise linkage disequilibria between the polymorphisms were negatively correlated with distance, although this effect vanished when only pairs of polymorphisms with four haplotypes were included in the analysis. The absence of a consistent negative correlation between distance and linkage disequilibrium indicated that gene conversion might have played an important role in distributing genetic diversity throughout the region. We tested this by coalescent simulations and estimate that up to 90% of recombination is due to gene conversion.

scholarly journals Genetic influences on hub connectivity of the human connectome

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Aurina Arnatkeviciute ◽  
Ben D. Fulcher ◽  
Stuart Oldham ◽  
Jeggan Tiego ◽  
Casey Paquola ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Transcriptional Activity ◽  
Model Performance ◽  
Brain Network ◽  
Generative Models ◽  
Resonance Imaging ◽  
Tight Coupling ◽  
Network Growth ◽  
Genetic Constraints ◽  
Weighted Magnetic Resonance Imaging ◽  
Connectivity Strength

AbstractBrain network hubs are both highly connected and highly inter-connected, forming a critical communication backbone for coherent neural dynamics. The mechanisms driving this organization are poorly understood. Using diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging in twins, we identify a major role for genes, showing that they preferentially influence connectivity strength between network hubs of the human connectome. Using transcriptomic atlas data, we show that connected hubs demonstrate tight coupling of transcriptional activity related to metabolic and cytoarchitectonic similarity. Finally, comparing over thirteen generative models of network growth, we show that purely stochastic processes cannot explain the precise wiring patterns of hubs, and that model performance can be improved by incorporating genetic constraints. Our findings indicate that genes play a strong and preferential role in shaping the functionally valuable, metabolically costly connections between connectome hubs.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document