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Natural selection on quantitative immune defence traits: a comparison between theory and data
1Department of Aquatic Ecology, EAWAG, Dübendorf, Switzerland; Institute of Integrative Biology, ETH Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland.
Journal of Evolutionary Biology
|November 18, 2014
Summary
Natural selection on immune defense traits in wild animals is often directional, not stabilizing as theory predicts. This is due to methodological challenges and biological factors like varying epidemics and parasite pressures.
Area of Science:
- Evolutionary biology
- Ecology
- Immunology
Background:
- Parasites pose significant threats to wildlife populations, impacting ecological and evolutionary dynamics.
- Immune defense is a critical physiological barrier against infections, making its evolutionary trajectory crucial for understanding disease dynamics.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review theoretical predictions and empirical evidence regarding natural selection on quantitative immune defense traits in natural populations.
- To investigate discrepancies between theoretical predictions of stabilizing selection and observed empirical patterns of selection on immune traits.
Main Methods:
- Review of theoretical models predicting selection on immune traits.
- Synthesis of empirical data from studies investigating natural selection on immune defense in wild species.
- Analysis of potential reasons for differences between theoretical predictions and empirical findings.
Main Results:
- Evolutionary theory predicts stabilizing selection on immune traits due to life-history trade-offs.
- Empirical data predominantly support positive directional selection on immune traits, with significant variation across studies, traits, and fitness components.
- Methodological limitations in assessing stabilizing selection and measuring fitness may contribute to observed discrepancies.
Conclusions:
- Observed directional selection and variation in selection on immune traits may result from spatial and temporal heterogeneity in parasite pressure, phenotypic variation, parasite characteristics, condition dependence of immunity, and the influence of non-immunological defenses.
- Future research should incorporate these biological factors to achieve a comprehensive understanding of immune defense evolution.
Keywords:
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