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Developmental plasticity as a cohesive evolutionary process between sympatric alternate-year insect cohorts
1Division of Integrative Biology, Department of Evolution, Ecology and Behaviour, School of Biological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK. phill@liv.ac.uk
Heredity
|July 28, 2011
Summary
Damselfly populations can split into separate groups, or cohorts, based on development time. Flexible larval development allows individuals to switch cohorts, maintaining genetic diversity and similar evolutionary paths despite differing population sizes.
Area of Science:
- Ecology
- Evolutionary Biology
- Genetics
Background:
- Species often exhibit distinct life history phases, with developmental timing crucial for resource utilization.
- Variations in developmental timing can lead to population partitioning into discrete cohorts, potentially resulting in independent demographic and evolutionary trajectories.
- Cohort splitting, or variation in development rates within a cohort, can homogenize otherwise independent demographic units.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the genetic signature of demographic isolation between coexisting semivoltine cohorts of the damselfly Coenagrion mercuriale.
- To determine if developmental plasticity influences cohort structure and genetic divergence in C. mercuriale populations across the UK.
- To assess the impact of gene flow between cohorts on genetic diversity and evolutionary trajectories.
Main Methods:
- Utilized a panel of 14 microsatellite loci to quantify genetic divergence.
- Analyzed genetic data from sympatric, semivoltine cohorts of C. mercuriale across various UK locations.
- Compared genetic differentiation between coexisting cohorts with contrasting population sizes.
Main Results:
- Consistently low levels of genetic divergence were observed between sympatric cohorts of C. mercuriale.
- Evidence suggests developmental plasticity during the larval stage, allowing individuals to complete development outside the typical 2-year semivoltine period.
- Despite population size differences, sufficient gene flow exists between alternate cohorts, promoting similar evolutionary trajectories and preventing genetic diversity loss.
Conclusions:
- Flexible larval development in C. mercuriale allows individuals to recruit into different cohorts, demonstrating developmental plasticity.
- Gene flow between cohorts homogenizes genetic structure, maintaining evolutionary convergence and safeguarding genetic diversity.
- This developmental flexibility enables adaptation to local conditions and may enhance resilience to environmental change.
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