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Ecological pleiotropy and indirect effects alter the potential for evolutionary rescue
John P DeLong1, Jonathan Belmaker2,3
1University of Nebraska - Lincoln Lincoln Nebraska.
Evolutionary Applications
|March 5, 2019
Summary
Evolutionary rescue can help imperiled prey survive invasive predators, but its success hinges on trait variation and ecological factors. Rapid evolution may also bolster predator populations, impacting other species.
Area of Science:
- Ecology
- Evolutionary Biology
- Mathematical Biology
Background:
- Invasive predators pose extinction risks to naive prey lacking evolved defenses.
- Predation pressure can drive prey evolution, potentially leading to 'evolutionary rescue' and species persistence.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the potential for evolutionary rescue in an imperiled prey population facing invasive predators.
- To identify key factors influencing the success of evolutionary rescue using eco-evolutionary models.
Main Methods:
- Utilized Gillespie eco-evolutionary models (GEMs) parameterized for protist predator-prey systems.
- Investigated the impact of prey body size evolution on population growth, predator functional response, and energy transfer.
Main Results:
- Evolutionary rescue likelihood depends on ecological pleiotropy, indirect effects on predators, heritable trait variation, and prey population stability.
- Increased prey equilibrium abundance through evolution can rescue predator populations, potentially affecting other species.
Conclusions:
- Ecological pleiotropy, indirect effects, and system dynamics are crucial for evolutionary rescue outcomes in prey and predators.
- Bolstering trait variation is key for evolutionary rescue, but unpredictable side effects, like boosting invasive species, may occur.
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