scholarly journals An Assessment of Phylogenetic Tools for Analyzing the Interplay Between Interspecific Interactions and Phenotypic Evolution

2017 ◽  
Vol 67 (3) ◽  
pp. 413-427 ◽  
Author(s):  
J P Drury ◽  
G F Grether ◽  
T Garland ◽  
H Morlon
2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eliot T. Miller ◽  
Gavin M. Leighton ◽  
Benjamin G. Freeman ◽  
Alexander C. Lees ◽  
Russell A. Ligon

Organismal appearances are shaped by selection from both abiotic and biotic drivers 1–5. For example, Gloger’s rule describes the pervasive pattern that more pigmented populations are found in more humid areas 1,6,7, and substrate matching as a form of camouflage to reduce predation is widespread across the tree of life 8–10. Sexual selection is a potent driver of plumage elaboration 5,11, and species may also converge on nearly identical colours and patterns in sympatry, often to avoid predation by mimicking noxious species 3,4 To date, no study has taken an integrative approach to understand how these factors determine the evolution of colour and pattern across a large clade of organisms. Here we show that both habitat and climate profoundly shape avian plumage. However, we also find a strong signal that many species exhibit remarkable convergence not explained by these factors nor by shared ancestry. Instead, this convergence is associated with geographic overlap between species, suggesting strong, albeit occasional, selection for interspecific mimicry. Consequently, both abiotic and biotic factors, including interspecific interactions, are potent drivers of phenotypic evolution.


2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marc Manceau ◽  
Amaury Lambert ◽  
Hélène Morlon

AbstractModels of phenotypic evolution fit to phylogenetic comparative data are widely used to make inferences regarding the tempo and mode of trait evolution. A wide range of models is already available for this type of analysis, and the field is still under active development. One of the most needed developments concerns models that better account for the effect of within- and between-clade interspecific interactions on trait evolution, that can result from processes as diverse as competition, predation, parasitism, or mutualism. Here, we begin by developing a very general comparative phylogenetic framework for (multi)-trait evolution that can be applied to both ultrametric and non-ultrametric trees. This framework not only encapsulates all previous classical models of univariate and multivariate phenotypic evolution, but also paves the way for the consideration of a much broader series of models in which lineages co-evolve, meaning that trait changes in one lineage are influenced by the value of traits in other, interacting lineages. Next, we provide a standard way for deriving the probabilistic distribution of traits at tip branches under our framework. We show that a multivariate normal distribution remains the expected distribution for a broad class of models accounting for interspecific interactions. Our derivations allow us to fit various models efficiently, and in particular greatly reduce the computation time needed to fit the recently proposed phenotype matching model. Finally, we illustrate the utility of our framework by developing a toy model for mutualistic coevolution. Our framework should foster a new era in the study of coevolution from comparative data.


2020 ◽  
Vol 650 ◽  
pp. 269-287
Author(s):  
WC Thaxton ◽  
JC Taylor ◽  
RG Asch

As the effects of climate change become more pronounced, variation in the direction and magnitude of shifts in species occurrence in space and time may disrupt interspecific interactions in ecological communities. In this study, we examined how the fall and winter ichthyoplankton community in the Newport River Estuary located inshore of Pamlico Sound in the southeastern United States has responded to environmental variability over the last 27 yr. We relate the timing of estuarine ingress of 10 larval fish species to changes in sea surface temperature (SST), the Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation, the North Atlantic Oscillation, wind strength and phenology, and tidal height. We also examined whether any species exhibited trends in ingress phenology over the last 3 decades. Species varied in the magnitude of their responses to all of the environmental variables studied, but most shared a common direction of change. SST and northerly wind strength had the largest impact on estuarine ingress phenology, with most species ingressing earlier during warm years and delaying ingress during years with strong northerly winds. As SST warms in the coming decades, the average date of ingress of some species (Atlantic croaker Micropogonias undulatus, summer flounder Paralichthys dentatus, pinfish Lagodon rhomboides) is projected to advance on the order of weeks to months, assuming temperatures do not exceed a threshold at which species can no longer respond through changes in phenology. These shifts in ingress could affect larval survival and growth since environmental conditions in the estuarine and pelagic nursery habitats of fishes also vary seasonally.


Zoology ◽  
2001 ◽  
Vol 104 (2) ◽  
pp. 91-97 ◽  
Author(s):  
Baruch Rinkevich ◽  
Kazuhiko Sakai

2021 ◽  
Vol 66 (4) ◽  
pp. 583-593
Author(s):  
Rocío Cano-Martínez ◽  
David Carricondo-Sanchez ◽  
Olivier Devineau ◽  
Morten Odden

AbstractCyclic fluctuations of prey have profound effects on the functioning of ecosystems, for example, by changing the dynamics, behavior, and intraguild interactions of predators. The aim of this study was to assess the effect of rodent cyclic fluctuations in the interspecific interactions of a guild of small- and medium-sized predators: red fox (Vulpes vulpes), pine marten (Martes martes), and weasels (Mustela erminea and Mustela nivalis) in the boreal ecosystem. We analyzed eight years (2007–2014) of snow tracking data from southeastern Norway using structural equation models to assess hypothesized networks of causal relationships. Our results show that fluctuations in rodent abundance alter the strength of predator’s interactions, as well as the effect of determinant environmental variables. Pine marten and weasel abundances were positively associated with rodent population growth rate, but not red fox abundance. All predators were positively associated with each other; however, the association between red fox and the other predators weakened when rodents increased. Rodent fluctuations had variable effects on the habitat use of the predators. The presence of agricultural land was important for all predators, but this importance weakened for the mustelids as rodent abundance increased. We discuss the shifting role of interference and exploitative competition as possible mechanisms behind these patterns. Overall, we highlight the importance of accounting for the dynamics of prey resources when studying interspecific interactions among predators. Additionally, we demonstrate the importance of monitoring the predator populations in order to anticipate undesirable outcomes such as increased generalist predator abundances to the detriment of specialists.


2021 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Borja Figueirido ◽  
Alberto Martín-Serra ◽  
Alejandro Pérez-Ramos ◽  
David Velasco ◽  
Francisco J. Pastor ◽  
...  

AbstractOrganisms comprise multiple interacting parts, but few quantitative studies have analysed multi-element systems, limiting understanding of phenotypic evolution. We investigate how disparity of vertebral morphology varies along the axial column of mammalian carnivores — a chain of 27 subunits — and the extent to which morphological variation have been structured by evolutionary constraints and locomotory adaptation. We find that lumbars and posterior thoracics exhibit high individual disparity but low serial differentiation. They are pervasively recruited into locomotory functions and exhibit relaxed evolutionary constraint. More anterior vertebrae also show signals of locomotory adaptation, but nevertheless have low individual disparity and constrained patterns of evolution, characterised by low-dimensional shape changes. Our findings demonstrate the importance of the thoracolumbar region as an innovation enabling evolutionary versatility of mammalian locomotion. Moreover, they underscore the complexity of phenotypic macroevolution of multi-element systems and that the strength of ecomorphological signal does not have a predictable influence on macroevolutionary outcomes.


Evolution ◽  
2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jonathan A. Nations ◽  
Genevieve G. Mount ◽  
Sara M. Morere ◽  
Anang S. Achmadi ◽  
Kevin C. Rowe ◽  
...  

Foods ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (8) ◽  
pp. 1734
Author(s):  
Ana Mencher ◽  
Pilar Morales ◽  
Jordi Tronchoni ◽  
Ramon Gonzalez

In parallel with the development of non-Saccharomyces starter cultures in oenology, a growing interest has developed around the interactions between the microorganisms involved in the transformation of grape must into wine. Nowadays, it is widely accepted that the outcome of a fermentation process involving two or more inoculated yeast species will be different from the weighted average of the corresponding individual cultures. Interspecific interactions between wine yeasts take place on several levels, including interference competition, exploitation competition, exchange of metabolic intermediates, and others. Some interactions could be a simple consequence of each yeast running its own metabolic programme in a context where metabolic intermediates and end products from other yeasts are present. However, there are clear indications, in some cases, of specific recognition between interacting yeasts. In this article we discuss the mechanisms that may be involved in the communication between wine yeasts during alcoholic fermentation.


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