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Self-perpetuating ecological-evolutionary dynamics in an agricultural host-parasite system
Anthony R Ives1, Brandon T Barton2,3, Rachel M Penczykowski2,4
1Department of Integrative Biology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA. arives@wisc.edu.
Nature Ecology & Evolution
|March 24, 2020
Summary
Parasitoid-aphid interactions demonstrate rapid evolution driven by ecological changes. Heritable symbionts confer resistance, leading to self-perpetuating ecological-evolutionary dynamics and variable trait frequencies.
Area of Science:
- Ecology
- Evolutionary Biology
- Population Genetics
Background:
- Ecological and evolutionary processes can interact when occurring over similar timescales.
- Heritable symbionts in aphids can confer resistance to parasitoids, influencing host-parasite dynamics.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the ecological-evolutionary dynamics between aphids and their parasitoids.
- To examine how manipulating ecological conditions affects aphid evolution and resistance to parasitism.
- To quantify the costs and benefits of symbiont-mediated resistance in aphids.
Main Methods:
- A large-scale field experiment manipulating aphid host plants to alter parasitoid favourability.
- Fitting mathematical models to quantify resistance costs and benefits.
- Genetic assays on 5-year field samples to track aphid clone frequencies.
Main Results:
- Rapid evolutionary divergence in aphid resistance was observed between treatment populations.
- Resistant aphid populations exhibited reduced parasitism and increased population growth rates.
- Genetic assays revealed persistent but variable frequencies of aphid clones with protective symbionts over five years.
Conclusions:
- Ecological conditions can drive rapid aphid evolution, intertwined with ecological dynamics.
- Variable selection prevents fixation of resistance traits, generating self-perpetuating ecological-evolutionary dynamics.
- Heritable symbionts play a crucial role in mediating these complex interactions.
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