The continuity of microevolution and macroevolution

Simons, Andrew M.

doi:10.1046/j.1420-9101.2002.00437.x

Cited by 124 publications

(107 citation statements)

References 88 publications

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“…The finding that selection acts to increase geometric-mean rather than arithmetic-mean fitness affects our understanding of trait optimality (because bet-hedging traits appear to be maladaptive over the short term), substantiates the idea that bet hedging should not be considered a 'special case' of evolution [31,32] and carries the corollary that persistence in the face of future environmental change may depend on bet hedging that has evolved in response to variable environments of the past.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 63%

Experimental evolution of bet hedging under manipulated environmental uncertainty in Neurospora crassa

2014

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All organisms are faced with environmental uncertainty. Bet-hedging theory expects unpredictable selection to result in the evolution of traits that maximize the geometric-mean fitness even though such traits appear to be detrimental over the shorter term. Despite the centrality of fitness measures to evolutionary analysis, no direct test of the geometric-mean fitness principle exists. Here, we directly distinguish between predictions of competing fitness maximization principles by testing Cohen's 1966 classic bet-hedging model using the fungus Neurospora crassa. The simple prediction is that propagule dormancy will evolve in proportion to the frequency of 'bad' years, whereas the prediction of the alternative arithmetic-mean principle is the evolution of zero dormancy as long as the expectation of a bad year is less than 0.5. Ascospore dormancy fraction in N. crassa was allowed to evolve under five experimental selection regimes that differed in the frequency of unpredictable 'bad years'. Results were consistent with bet-hedging theory: final dormancy fraction in 12 genetic lineages across 88 independently evolving samples was proportional to the frequency of bad years, and evolved both upwards and downwards as predicted from a range of starting dormancy fractions. These findings suggest that selection results in adaptation to variable rather than to expected environments.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 63%

Experimental evolution of bet hedging under manipulated environmental uncertainty in Neurospora crassa

2014

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“…Mesoudi et al consider that evolution occurs at the trait level because they accept uncritically the idea that macroevolution is Darwinian microevolution writ large (but see Erwin 2000;Carroll 2001;Simons 2002; among others, for some of the issues involved). However, their argument does not work for kinship terminologies.…”

Section: Dwight W Readmentioning

confidence: 99%

Towards a unified science of cultural evolution

2006

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We suggest that human culture exhibits key Darwinian evolutionary properties, and argue that the structure of a science of cultural evolution should share fundamental features with the structure of the science of biological evolution. This latter claim is tested by outlining the methods and approaches employed by the principal subdisciplines of evolutionary biology and assessing whether there is an existing or potential corresponding approach to the study of cultural evolution. Existing approaches within anthropology and archaeology demonstrate a good match with the macroevolutionary methods of systematics, paleobiology, and biogeography, whereas mathematical models derived from population genetics have been successfully developed to study cultural microevolution. Much potential exists for experimental simulations and field studies of cultural microevolution, where there are opportunities to borrow further methods and hypotheses from biology. Potential also exists for the cultural equivalent of molecular genetics in "social cognitive neuroscience," although many fundamental issues have yet to be resolved. It is argued that studying culture within a unifying evolutionary framework has the potential to integrate a number of separate disciplines within the social sciences.

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“…Also, although extrapolation from microevolution to macroevolution must be taken with caution (e.g. Simons 2002), it emphasizes the role of fire in driving accelerated diversification in seeder lineages of highly speciose CFR fynbos taxa.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Biogeography and evolution of seeder and resprouter forms of Erica coccinea (Ericaceae) in the fire-prone Cape fynbos

et al. 2015

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The genus Erica represents the epitome of plant biodiversity in the South African Cape fynbos with over 700 species. This genus is composed of seeder and resprouter species, but both species diversity and endemism are strongly linked to the seeder habit and concentrated in the southwestern Cape Floristic Region (CFR). Erica coccinea is a relatively abundant and widespread fynbos species whose most remarkable morphological feature is the existence of distinct seeder and resprouter forms, frequently-but not always-in disjunct populations. Both higher within-population genetic diversity and among-population differentiation have been found in seeders, most likely as a consequence of the shorter generation times and faster population turnovers. Resprouters, despite being less diverse, are suspected to be ancestral. However, no solid evidence has yet been provided for the ancestrality of the resprouter form, or for the demographic processes that have determined the current distribution of genetic diversity in both regeneration forms. Here, we used microsatellites and sequences of the nuclear ribosomal internal transcribed spacers to describe the phylogeographic structure of seeder and resprouter E. coccinea populations and provide good evidence for the ancestral status of the resprouter form and the comparatively Published in "Plant Ecology 217(6): 751-761, 2015" which should be cited to refer to this work.high rates of molecular evolution in derived seeder populations. We also reveal that mixed populations, where both seeder and resprouter individuals cooccur, were originated by secondary contacts. This study highlights the role of fire in driving accelerated diversification in seeder lineages of highly speciose CFR fynbos taxa.

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The continuity of microevolution and macroevolution

Cited by 124 publications

References 88 publications

Experimental evolution of bet hedging under manipulated environmental uncertainty in Neurospora crassa

Experimental evolution of bet hedging under manipulated environmental uncertainty in Neurospora crassa

Towards a unified science of cultural evolution

Biogeography and evolution of seeder and resprouter forms of Erica coccinea (Ericaceae) in the fire-prone Cape fynbos

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