Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 3, 2026

Field Experiments of Pollination Ecology: The Case of Lycoris sanguinea var. sanguinea
Published on: November 25, 2016
Evolution of flowering decisions in a stochastic, density-dependent environment
C J E Metcalf1, K E Rose, D Z Childs
1Duke Population Research Institute, Duke University, Durham, NC 27707, USA. cjm29@duke.edu
Abstract:
Demography is central to both ecology and evolution, and characterizing the feedback between ecology and evolution is critical for understanding organisms' life histories and how these might evolve through time. Here, we show how, by combining a range of theoretical approaches with the statistical analysis of individually structured databases, accurate prediction of life history decisions is possible in natural density-regulated populations undergoing large fluctuations in demographic rates from year to year. Our predictions are remarkably accurate and statistically well defined. In addition, we show that the predicted trait values are evolutionarily and convergence stable and that protected polymorphisms are possible.
More Related Videos
12:14Exploring Life History Choices: Using Temperature and Substrate Type as Interacting Factors for Blowfly Larval and Female Preferences
Published on: November 17, 2023
09:23Methodology for Developing Life Tables for Sessile Insects in the Field Using the Whitefly, Bemisia tabaci, in Cotton As a Model System
Published on: November 1, 2017
Related Concept Videos
Gene Flow
Genetic Drift
Mutation, Gene Flow, and Genetic Drift
Frequency-dependent Selection
Evolution of New Traits in Microbes
Pollination and Flower Structure