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Related Concept Videos

Competition02:34

Competition

When organisms require the same limited resources within an environment, they may have to compete for them. Competition is a net-negative interaction. Even if two competing individuals or populations do not interact directly, the overall fitness of both competitors is lowered as a result of not having full access to the limited resource.Intraspecific competition, which occurs between individuals of the same species, serves as a natural mechanism for regulating population size. Too much...
Microbial Interactions: Competition01:26

Microbial Interactions: Competition

Microbial competition is an ecological interaction in which microorganisms vie for limited resources within shared environments. These resources may include nutrients, space, or light, depending on the system. The intensity and outcome of competition are influenced by the environmental context, such as nutrient availability, spatial constraints, and the diversity of microbial species present. These competitive interactions significantly influence the structure, function, and resilience of...
Optimal Foraging00:48

Optimal Foraging

How animals obtain and eat their food is called foraging behavior. Foraging can include searching for plants and hunting for prey and depends on the species and environment.
Ecological Niches02:02

Ecological Niches

All organisms have a position within an ecosystem. The complete set of living and nonliving factors—including food resources, climate, and terrain—that define the position of a given organism are collectively referred to as the organism’s ecological niche.Multiple species cannot occupy the exact same niche within their habitat. If the niches of two or more species overlap to a large extent, the competitive exclusion principle dictates that one species will outcompete the other, forcing it to...
Predator-Prey Interactions02:39

Predator-Prey Interactions

Predators consume prey for energy. Predators that acquire prey and prey that avoid predation both increase their chances of survival and reproduction (i.e., fitness). Routine predator-prey interactions elicit mutual adaptations that improve predator offenses, such as claws, teeth, and speed, as well as prey defenses, including crypsis, aposematism, and mimicry. Thus, predator-prey interactions resemble an evolutionary arms race.Although predation is commonly associated with carnivory, for...
Trophic Efficiency00:46

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Trophic level transfer efficiency (TLTE) is a measure of the total energy transfer from one trophic level to the next. Due to extensive energy loss as metabolic heat, an average of only 10% of the original energy obtained is passed on to the next level. This pattern of energy loss severely limits the possible number of trophic levels in a food chain.

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 30, 2026

Quantification of Macronutrients Intake in a Thermogenetic Neuronal Screen using Drosophila Larvae
07:24

Quantification of Macronutrients Intake in a Thermogenetic Neuronal Screen using Drosophila Larvae

Published on: June 11, 2020

Character convergence under competition for nutritionally essential resources.

Jeremy W Fox1, David A Vasseur

  • 1Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, 2500 University Drive Northwest, Calgary, Alberta T2L1Z3, Canada. jefox@ucalgary.ca

The American Naturalist
|September 24, 2008
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

When species compete for essential resources, they evolve to use them similarly, promoting coexistence. However, rapid ecological changes can prevent this trait convergence in nature.

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Last Updated: Jun 30, 2026

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Published on: August 6, 2018

Area of Science:

  • Ecology
  • Evolutionary Biology
  • Theoretical Biology

Background:

  • Resource competition is a key driver of evolutionary trait divergence (character displacement).
  • Existing theory primarily considers nutritionally substitutable resources, predicting divergence.
  • Essential resource competition, however, theoretically predicts trait convergence.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the effects of essential resource competition on trait evolution.
  • To explore the interplay between ecological dynamics and trait evolution.
  • To examine how different rates of trait change influence evolutionary trajectories.

Main Methods:

  • Modeling two species competing for two essential resources.
  • Incorporating both slow and fast evolutionary rates for resource use traits.
  • Analyzing the dynamics of trait evolution and ecological coexistence.

Main Results:

  • Competition for essential resources consistently drives character convergence, though complete trait identity is prevented by differing resource requirements.
  • Adaptive trait change stabilizes ecological equilibria, promoting species coexistence.
  • Feedbacks between ecological and trait dynamics can lead to transient divergence followed by convergence.
  • Slow trait evolution may result in near-extinction of one competitor, hindering long-term convergence.

Conclusions:

  • Essential resource competition promotes species coexistence through character convergence.
  • Adaptive trait evolution is crucial for stabilizing ecological dynamics and enabling coexistence.
  • The rate of trait change significantly impacts evolutionary outcomes and the potential for convergence.