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Related Experiment Videos

Rapid temporal reversal in predator-driven natural selection.

Jonathan B Losos1, Thomas W Schoener, R Brian Langerhans

  • 1Department of Biology, Box 1137, Washington University, St. Louis, MO 63130 USA. jlosos@oeb.harvard.edu

Science (New York, N.Y.)
|November 18, 2006
PubMed
Summary

Species adaptation to environmental change is rapid. Introducing a predator initially favored longer-legged lizards, but a shift to higher perches reversed selection, favoring shorter legs within one generation.

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Area of Science:

  • Ecology
  • Evolutionary Biology
  • Behavioral Ecology

Background:

  • Environmental changes challenge species' survival.
  • Evolutionary processes, like natural selection, drive adaptation.
  • Understanding rapid evolutionary responses is crucial for predicting species' persistence.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the speed and direction of evolutionary adaptation in response to environmental change.
  • To test the hypothesis that natural selection can rapidly alter species' traits.
  • To examine how behavioral shifts influence evolutionary trajectories.

Main Methods:

  • Conducted field experiments on 12 islets introducing a terrestrial predator.
  • Monitored changes in lizard leg length as a response to predation pressure and habitat use.

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  • Observed behavioral shifts of lizards to different perching heights.

    • Main Results:

    • Initial introduction of predators selected for longer-legged lizards, enhancing speed.
    • Lizards shifted to higher perches to evade predators.
    • This behavioral shift reversed selection, favoring shorter-legged individuals better suited for arboreal locomotion.

    Conclusions:

    • Evolutionary adaptation can occur within a single generation.
    • Behavioral plasticity can significantly influence the direction of natural selection.
    • Rapid evolutionary changes are possible during environmental flux.