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A newly discovered role of evolution in previously published consumer-resource dynamics
Teppo Hiltunen1, Nelson G Hairston, Giles Hooker
1Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA; Department of Food and Environmental Sciences/Microbiology, University of Helsinki, Viikki Biocenter, FIN-00014, Helsinki, Finland.
Ecology Letters
|May 13, 2014
Summary
Classic consumer-resource models predict cyclic population dynamics. However, this study reveals that prey evolution drives longer, antiphase cycles, indicating eco-evolutionary dynamics in many ecological communities.
Area of Science:
- Ecology
- Evolutionary Biology
- Population Dynamics
Background:
- Consumer-resource interactions are key to ecological communities.
- Traditional models predict cyclic population dynamics with a ¼-period lag.
- Empirical evidence for these classic patterns is scarce.
Discussion:
- This study re-evaluates 21 consumer-resource time series (1934-1997) for eco-evolutionary dynamics.
- Prey evolving trade-offs between defense and competition lengthens cycles to antiphase (½-period lag).
- A novel statistical method tested for transitions from classic to eco-evolutionary cycles.
Key Insights:
- Approximately half of the analyzed studies exhibit patterns consistent with eco-evolutionary dynamics.
- Rapid prey evolution is identified as the primary driver of observed cycle alterations.
- Eco-evolutionary dynamics offer a more robust explanation for observed consumer-resource cycles.
Outlook:
- Future research should integrate evolutionary processes into ecological models.
- Understanding eco-evolutionary feedbacks is crucial for predicting community stability.
- This framework can be applied to diverse species interactions and ecosystems.
Keywords:
Eco-evolutionary dynamicshost-parasite interactionpopulation cyclespredator-prey interactionrapid evolutionretrospective analysisMore Related Videos
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