Contrasting patterns of density‐dependent selection at different life stages can create more than one fast–slow axis of life‐history variation

Abstract There has been much recent research interest in the existence of a major axis of life‐history variation along a fast–slow continuum within almost all major taxonomic groups. Eco‐evolutionary models of density‐dependent selection provide a general explanation for such observations of intersp...

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Main Authors: Jonathan Wright, Erik Blystad Solbu, Steinar Engen
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2020-03-01
Series:Ecology and Evolution
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.6122
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spelling doaj-2a71eb5c69ec424898249ddf71ecf1d62021-04-02T11:53:51ZengWileyEcology and Evolution2045-77582020-03-011063068307810.1002/ece3.6122Contrasting patterns of density‐dependent selection at different life stages can create more than one fast–slow axis of life‐history variationJonathan Wright0Erik Blystad Solbu1Steinar Engen2Department of Biology Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) Trondheim NorwayDepartment of Biology Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) Trondheim NorwayDepartment of Mathematics Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) Trondheim NorwayAbstract There has been much recent research interest in the existence of a major axis of life‐history variation along a fast–slow continuum within almost all major taxonomic groups. Eco‐evolutionary models of density‐dependent selection provide a general explanation for such observations of interspecific variation in the "pace of life." One issue, however, is that some large‐bodied long‐lived “slow” species (e.g., trees and large fish) often show an explosive “fast” type of reproduction with many small offspring, and species with “fast” adult life stages can have comparatively “slow” offspring life stages (e.g., mayflies). We attempt to explain such life‐history evolution using the same eco‐evolutionary modeling approach but with two life stages, separating adult reproductive strategies from offspring survival strategies. When the population dynamics in the two life stages are closely linked and affect each other, density‐dependent selection occurs in parallel on both reproduction and survival, producing the usual one‐dimensional fast–slow continuum (e.g., houseflies to blue whales). However, strong density dependence at either the adult reproduction or offspring survival life stage creates quasi‐independent population dynamics, allowing fast‐type reproduction alongside slow‐type survival (e.g., trees and large fish), or the perhaps rarer slow‐type reproduction alongside fast‐type survival (e.g., mayflies—short‐lived adults producing few long‐lived offspring). Therefore, most types of species life histories in nature can potentially be explained via the eco‐evolutionary consequences of density‐dependent selection given the possible separation of demographic effects at different life stages.https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.6122carrying capacityeco‐evolutionary dynamicsenvironmental stochasticitylife‐history evolutionpopulation regulationreproduction selection
collection DOAJ
language English
format Article
sources DOAJ
author Jonathan Wright
Erik Blystad Solbu
Steinar Engen
spellingShingle Jonathan Wright
Erik Blystad Solbu
Steinar Engen
Contrasting patterns of density‐dependent selection at different life stages can create more than one fast–slow axis of life‐history variation
Ecology and Evolution
carrying capacity
eco‐evolutionary dynamics
environmental stochasticity
life‐history evolution
population regulation
reproduction selection
author_facet Jonathan Wright
Erik Blystad Solbu
Steinar Engen
author_sort Jonathan Wright
title Contrasting patterns of density‐dependent selection at different life stages can create more than one fast–slow axis of life‐history variation
title_short Contrasting patterns of density‐dependent selection at different life stages can create more than one fast–slow axis of life‐history variation
title_full Contrasting patterns of density‐dependent selection at different life stages can create more than one fast–slow axis of life‐history variation
title_fullStr Contrasting patterns of density‐dependent selection at different life stages can create more than one fast–slow axis of life‐history variation
title_full_unstemmed Contrasting patterns of density‐dependent selection at different life stages can create more than one fast–slow axis of life‐history variation
title_sort contrasting patterns of density‐dependent selection at different life stages can create more than one fast–slow axis of life‐history variation
publisher Wiley
series Ecology and Evolution
issn 2045-7758
publishDate 2020-03-01
description Abstract There has been much recent research interest in the existence of a major axis of life‐history variation along a fast–slow continuum within almost all major taxonomic groups. Eco‐evolutionary models of density‐dependent selection provide a general explanation for such observations of interspecific variation in the "pace of life." One issue, however, is that some large‐bodied long‐lived “slow” species (e.g., trees and large fish) often show an explosive “fast” type of reproduction with many small offspring, and species with “fast” adult life stages can have comparatively “slow” offspring life stages (e.g., mayflies). We attempt to explain such life‐history evolution using the same eco‐evolutionary modeling approach but with two life stages, separating adult reproductive strategies from offspring survival strategies. When the population dynamics in the two life stages are closely linked and affect each other, density‐dependent selection occurs in parallel on both reproduction and survival, producing the usual one‐dimensional fast–slow continuum (e.g., houseflies to blue whales). However, strong density dependence at either the adult reproduction or offspring survival life stage creates quasi‐independent population dynamics, allowing fast‐type reproduction alongside slow‐type survival (e.g., trees and large fish), or the perhaps rarer slow‐type reproduction alongside fast‐type survival (e.g., mayflies—short‐lived adults producing few long‐lived offspring). Therefore, most types of species life histories in nature can potentially be explained via the eco‐evolutionary consequences of density‐dependent selection given the possible separation of demographic effects at different life stages.
topic carrying capacity
eco‐evolutionary dynamics
environmental stochasticity
life‐history evolution
population regulation
reproduction selection
url https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.6122
work_keys_str_mv AT jonathanwright contrastingpatternsofdensitydependentselectionatdifferentlifestagescancreatemorethanonefastslowaxisoflifehistoryvariation
AT erikblystadsolbu contrastingpatternsofdensitydependentselectionatdifferentlifestagescancreatemorethanonefastslowaxisoflifehistoryvariation
AT steinarengen contrastingpatternsofdensitydependentselectionatdifferentlifestagescancreatemorethanonefastslowaxisoflifehistoryvariation
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