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Related Experiment Video

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Linking Predation Risk, Herbivore Physiological Stress and Microbial Decomposition of Plant Litter

Linking Predation Risk, Herbivore Physiological Stress and Microbial Decomposition of Plant Litter

Published on: March 12, 2013

Diversification, biotic interchange, and the universal trade-off hypothesis.

¹Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, Minnesota 55108, USA. tilman@umn.edu

The American Naturalist

|August 11, 2011

Summary

Ecologically similar species coexist due to shared trait trade-offs, challenging the idea of one group dominating another. Fossil data suggests species from different regions evolved on similar ecological landscapes.

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Area of Science:

Ecology
Evolutionary Biology
Paleontology

Background:

Competition theory posits that multispecies coexistence relies on shared interspecific trade-off surfaces.
Fossil records indicate long-term coexistence of ecologically similar species even after geographic isolation and recontact.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the universal trade-off hypothesis, suggesting similar species are bound to the same trade-off surface.
To evaluate the biogeographic superiority hypothesis, which predicts evolutionary dominance of taxa from one realm over another.

Main Methods:

Analysis of fossil records for various taxa (mollusks, mammals, trees).
Examination of species persistence times after interchange between formerly isolated biogeographic realms.
Quantitative analysis of differences between trade-off surfaces of different realms.

Main Results:

Ecologically similar species have coexisted for millions of years, supporting the universal trade-off hypothesis.
Trade-off surfaces of different realms differed by less than 0.1% at the time of interchange.
Macroevolutionary patterns suggest trait evolution on a common surface, not directional selection without costs.

Conclusions:

The universal trade-off hypothesis provides a better explanation for observed coexistence patterns than the biogeographic superiority hypothesis.
Macroevolutionary differentiation likely occurred on a shared ecological landscape, implying transrealm trade-offs.
Findings have significant implications for understanding ecological and evolutionary dynamics across different regions.