Evolution of pathogen virulence under selective predation: a construction method to find eco-evolutionary cycles

Area of Science:

• Ecology
• Evolutionary Biology
• Mathematical Biology

Background:

• Pathogen virulence and predator-prey interactions are key ecological factors.
• Eco-evolutionary dynamics can lead to cyclical population fluctuations.
• Understanding these cycles is crucial for predicting disease spread and ecosystem stability.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate eco-evolutionary cycles in pathogen virulence and predator density.
• To develop a novel technique for identifying trade-off functions that generate limit cycles.
• To demonstrate the applicability of this technique to other eco-evolutionary models.

Main Methods:

• Development of a new mathematical technique to find trade-off functions.
• Constructive proof of limit cycle generation within the model.
• Analysis of a concrete example to explore parameter space and evolutionary outcomes.

Main Results:

• The study introduces a novel technique for proving the existence of limit cycles in eco-evolutionary models.
• Eco-evolutionary cycles were confirmed to occur across a significant parameter range.
• The developed technique is broadly applicable to other eco-evolutionary systems.

Conclusions:

• The interplay between pathogen virulence and predator-prey dynamics can generate stable eco-evolutionary cycles.
• The novel technique provides a robust method for identifying conditions leading to cyclical dynamics.
• This research contributes to understanding complex eco-evolutionary feedbacks in natural systems.