Rapid, local adaptation of zooplankton behavior to changes in predation pressure in the absence of neutral genetic changes

Cousyn, C; Meester, Luc De; Colbourne, John K.; Brendonck, Luc; Verschuren, Dirk; Volckaert, Filip

doi:10.1073/pnas.111606798

Cited by 387 publications

(474 citation statements)

References 22 publications

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“…One caveat applies to our conclusion of no genetic substructuring within the European eel, namely that the absence of, or a very weak, geographical differentiation at neutral loci does not preclude the existence of more pronounced differences at loci affected by selection (Cousyn et al 2001;Koskinen et al 2002). Since selected and non-selected genes can have different effective migration rates, adaptive differences could in theory persist in spite of significant neutral gene flow.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 75%

Panmixia in the European eel: a matter of time…

et al. 2005

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The European eel (Anguilla anguilla L.) has been a prime example of the panmixia paradigm because of its extraordinary adaptation to the North Atlantic gyral system, semelparous spawning in the Sargasso Sea and long trans-oceanic migration. Recently, this view was challenged by the suggestion of a genetic structure characterized by an isolation-by-distance (IBD) pattern. This is only likely if spawning subpopulations are spatially and/or temporally separated, followed by non-random larval dispersal. A limitation of previous genetic work on eels is the lack of replication over time to test for temporal stability of genetic structure. Here, we hypothesize that temporal genetic variation plays a significant role in explaining the spatial structure reported earlier for this species. We tested this by increasing the texture of geographical sampling and by including temporal replicates. Overall genetic differentiation among samples was low, highly significant and comparable with earlier studies (F ST Z0.0014; p!0.01). On the other hand, and in sharp contrast with current understandings, hierarchical analyses revealed no significant inter-location genetic heterogeneity and hence no IBD. Instead, genetic variation among temporal samples within sites clearly exceeded the geographical component. Our results provide support for the panmixia hypothesis and emphasize the importance of temporal replication when assessing population structure of marine fish species.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 75%

Panmixia in the European eel: a matter of time…

et al. 2005

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“…Khibnik & Kondrashov 1997). In many cases, however, evolutionary change can occur at rates comparable to the rates at which the abundances of populations and communities change and a growing number of studies have demonstrated rapid evolution at ecologically relevant time-scales (Thompson 1998;Hairston et al 1999;Hendry et al 2000;Cousyn et al 2001;Reznick & Ghalambor 2001;Stockwell et al 2003). In this study, we show how clonal selection operating on a fundamental life-history trait (the production of amictic versus mictic offspring) affects the dynamics of plankton populations.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 91%

Evolution as a critical component of plankton dynamics

Fussmann

Ellner

Hairston

2003

Proc. R. Soc. Lond. B

128

133

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Microevolution is typically ignored as a factor directly affecting ongoing population dynamics. We show here that density-dependent natural selection has a direct and measurable effect on a planktonic predatorprey interaction. We kept populations of Brachionus calyciflorus, a monogonont rotifer that exhibits cyclical parthenogenesis, in continuous flow-through cultures (chemostats) for more than 900 days. Initially, females frequently produced male offspring, especially at high population densities. We observed rapid evolution, however, towards low propensity to reproduce sexually, and by 750 days, reproduction had become entirely asexual. There was strong selection favouring asexual reproduction because, under the turbulent chemostat regime, males were unable to mate with females, produced no offspring, and so had zero fitness. In replicated chemostat experiments we found that this evolutionary process directly influenced the population dynamics. We observed very specific but reproducible plankton dynamics which are explained well by a mathematical model that explicitly includes evolution. This model accounts for both asexual and sexual reproduction and treats the propensity to reproduce sexually as a quantitative trait under selection. We suggest that a similar amalgam of ecological and evolutionary mechanisms may drive the dynamics of rapidly reproducing organisms in the wild.

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“…Species as diverse as single-celled algae, annual plants, birds, fishes, crustaceans, insects and sheep are found to undergo rapid contemporary evolutionary changes in traits that adapt them within a few generations to changing or new environments (Reznick et al 1997;Thompson 1998;Hairston et al 1999;Sinervo et al 2000;Cousyn et al 2001;Reznick & Ghalambor 2001;Grant & Grant 2002;Heath et al 2003;Yoshida et al 2003;Olsen et al 2004;Pelletier et al 2007;Swain et al 2007). Thus, the old assumption that evolutionary change is negligible on the time-scale of ecological interactions is now demonstrably incorrect.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Rapid contemporary evolution and clonal food web dynamics

Jones

Becks

Ellner

et al. 2009

Phil. Trans. R. Soc. B

102

128

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Character evolution that affects ecological community interactions often occurs contemporaneously with temporal changes in population size, potentially altering the very nature of those dynamics. Such eco-evolutionary processes may be most readily explored in systems with short generations and simple genetics. Asexual and cyclically parthenogenetic organisms such as microalgae, cladocerans and rotifers, which frequently dominate freshwater plankton communities, meet these requirements. Multiple clonal lines can coexist within each species over extended periods, until either fixation occurs or a sexual phase reshuffles the genetic material. When clones differ in traits affecting interspecific interactions, within-species clonal dynamics can have major effects on the population dynamics. We first consider a simple predator-prey system with two prey genotypes, parametrized with data from a well-studied experimental system, and explore how the extent of differences in defence against predation within the prey population determine dynamic stability versus instability of the system. We then explore how increased potential for evolution affects the community dynamics in a more general community model with multiple predator and multiple prey genotypes. These examples illustrate how microevolutionary 'details' that enhance or limit the potential for heritable phenotypic change can have significant effects on contemporaneous community-level dynamics and the persistence and coexistence of species.

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Rapid, local adaptation of zooplankton behavior to changes in predation pressure in the absence of neutral genetic changes

Cited by 387 publications

References 22 publications

Panmixia in the European eel: a matter of time…

Panmixia in the European eel: a matter of time…

Evolution as a critical component of plankton dynamics

Rapid contemporary evolution and clonal food web dynamics

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