Complex life cycles drive community assembly through immigration and adaptive diversification

Area of Science:

• Ecological theory
• Evolutionary biology
• Community ecology

Background:

• Standard ecological models often overlook ontogenetic niche shifts, where animals change resource use throughout their life cycle.
• This study investigates the impact of complex life cycles on community species richness.

Discussion:

• Complex life cycles can either increase or decrease species richness under gradual adaptive evolution.
• This suggests that complex life cycles do not inherently promote greater adaptive diversification through gradual evolution.

Key Insights:

• Complex life cycles can lead to significantly higher species richness when communities assemble via immigration.
• Immigrant species can colonize previously inaccessible ecological niches on the fitness landscape.

Outlook:

• Future research should explore the conditions under which complex life cycles promote or inhibit diversification.
• Understanding these dynamics is crucial for predicting community assembly and biodiversity patterns.