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Evolution of the maturation rate collapses competitive coexistence
Akihiko Mougi1, Kinya Nishimura
1Graduate School of Fisheries Sciences, Hokkaido University, Hakodate 041-8611, Japan. mougi@fish.hokudai.ac.jp
Journal of Theoretical Biology
|February 7, 2006
Summary
Evolutionary changes in maturation rate, not directly tied to competition, can paradoxically lead to the extinction of superior competitors. This occurs when life history trade-offs cause rapid population growth in inferior competitors, disrupting ecological coexistence.
Area of Science:
- Ecology
- Evolutionary Biology
- Theoretical Ecology
Background:
- Most studies on species coexistence focus on traits directly impacted by competition.
- The role of life history traits, like maturation rate, in competitive outcomes is less explored.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate how the evolution of maturation rate, a trait indirectly related to competition, influences competitive outcomes.
- To understand the conditions under which a superior competitor may go extinct due to evolutionary changes in maturation rate.
Main Methods:
- Theoretical modeling of inter-specific competition.
- Analysis of evolutionary dynamics of maturation rate and its trade-offs with birth rate.
Main Results:
- Evolutionary shifts in maturation rate can lead to the extinction of the superior competitor.
- This counterintuitive outcome arises from rapid adult population increases in the inferior competitor.
- Differences in selection intensity, selection direction, and adult densities drive these evolutionary changes.
Conclusions:
- Life history traits with trade-offs can destabilize competitive coexistence.
- Maturation rate evolution, influenced by life history differences, can collapse ecological coexistence.
- Indirect selection on life history traits can have significant impacts on species interactions.