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Behavior and Physiology Outpace Form When Linking Traits to Ecological Responses within Populations: A Meta-Analysis.
Thibaut Rota1,2,3,4, Allan Raffard5,6, Iris Lang1,7
1Centre de Recherche sur la Biodiversité et l'Environnement (CRBE), Université de Toulouse, CNRS, IRD, Toulouse INP, Université Toulouse 3-Paul Sabatier (UT3), Toulouse, France.
The American Naturalist
|June 18, 2026
Summary
Intraspecific trait variability significantly influences ecological dynamics. Physiology and behavior traits, more than morphology, strongly link individual traits to ecological responses across all levels of biological organization.
Area of Science:
- Ecology
- Evolutionary Biology
- Behavioral Ecology
Background:
- Intraspecific variability is crucial for ecological dynamics.
- Understanding the link between individual traits and ecological responses is limited.
- The influence of trait types and levels of biological organization on this link is poorly understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate how trait variability affects ecological dynamics.
- To compare the strength of trait-ecology associations across different intraspecific levels.
- To examine differences in trait-ecology associations among trait types (morphology, physiology, behavior) and ecological responses.
Main Methods:
- Conducted a meta-analysis of over 1000 effect sizes from nearly 200 studies.
- Included approximately 100 animal species across diverse traits and ecological responses.
- Synthesized data on individual traits and their ecological consequences.
Main Results:
- The average effect size linking traits to ecological responses was 0.25.
- Effect sizes were larger for ecological performance (foraging, diet) than for fitness (reproduction).
- Physiology and behavior traits showed stronger associations than morphology traits.
Conclusions:
- Intraspecific trait variability is central to ecological dynamics.
- Physiology and behavior are key traits for understanding the ecological consequences of individual variability.
- Future research should focus on these traits to unravel ecological dynamics.
Keywords:
eco-evolutionary dynamicsfunctional traitsindividual-based ecologyintraspecific trait variation (ITV)phenotypic traitstrait-based ecologyMore Related Videos
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