Speciation with gene flow in a heterogeneous virtual world: can physical obstacles accelerate speciation?

Area of Science:

• Evolutionary Biology
• Ecology
• Computational Biology

Background:

• Speciation is often linked to geographical barriers reducing gene flow.
• The impact of habitat heterogeneity on speciation rates is less understood.
• Understanding factors influencing speciation is crucial for evolutionary biology.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate how habitat heterogeneity, simulated by physical obstacles, affects speciation rates.
• To analyze the influence of obstacles on population distribution and connectivity (gene flow).
• To explore the impact on the tempo and mode of speciation in a virtual ecosystem.

Main Methods:

• Utilized an adapted individual-based platform (EcoSim) to simulate a virtual ecosystem.
• Introduced varying numbers of randomly distributed obstacles to create habitat heterogeneity.
• Modeled a food chain with primary producers, prey (herbivores), and predators, including coevolutionary dynamics.

Main Results:

• A direct, continuous increase in the speed of evolution and speciation rates was observed with more obstacles.
• Species distribution became more compact in heterogeneous environments compared to homogenous ones.
• Obstacles significantly influenced population connectivity and spatial distribution.

Conclusions:

• Environmental heterogeneity directly influences speciation and extinction rates.
• Habitat complexity, even at small scales, can accelerate evolutionary diversification.
• Demographic stochasticity, influenced by environmental factors, plays a key role in speciation.