Evolution of reproductive life‐history and dispersal traits during the range expansion of a biological control agent
Abstract Evolutionary theory predicts that the process of range expansion will lead to differences in life‐history and dispersal traits between the core and edge of a population. At the edge, selection and genetic drift can have opposing effects on reproductive ability, while spatial sorting by disp...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Wiley
2022-12-01
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| Series: | Evolutionary Applications |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1111/eva.13502 |
| _version_ | 1811184406181707776 |
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| author | Eliza I. Clark Ellyn V. Bitume Dan W. Bean Amanda R. Stahlke Paul A. Hohenlohe Ruth A. Hufbauer |
| author_facet | Eliza I. Clark Ellyn V. Bitume Dan W. Bean Amanda R. Stahlke Paul A. Hohenlohe Ruth A. Hufbauer |
| author_sort | Eliza I. Clark |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Evolutionary theory predicts that the process of range expansion will lead to differences in life‐history and dispersal traits between the core and edge of a population. At the edge, selection and genetic drift can have opposing effects on reproductive ability, while spatial sorting by dispersal ability can increase dispersal. However, the context that individuals experience, including population density and mating status, also impacts dispersal behavior. We seek to understand the shifts in traits of populations expanding across natural, heterogenous environments, and the evolutionary and behavioral factors that may drive those shifts. We evaluated theoretical predictions for evolution of reproductive life‐history and dispersal traits using the range expansion of a biological control agent, Diorhabda carinulata, or northern tamarisk beetle. We find that individuals from the edge had increased fecundity and female body mass, and reduced age at first reproduction, indicating that genetic load is low and suggesting that selection has acted at the edge. We also find that density of conspecifics during rearing and mating status influence dispersal of males and that dispersal increases at the edge of the range under certain conditions, particularly when males were unmated and reared at low density. The restricted conditions in which dispersal has increased suggest that spatial sorting has exerted weak effects relative to other potential processes. Our results support most theoretical predictions about evolution during range expansion, even across a heterogeneous environment, especially when the ecological context is considered. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-11T13:11:46Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-8cdd941012a6476b92d2508d39256012 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1752-4571 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-11T13:11:46Z |
| publishDate | 2022-12-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Evolutionary Applications |
| spelling | doaj.art-8cdd941012a6476b92d2508d392560122022-12-22T04:22:34ZengWileyEvolutionary Applications1752-45712022-12-0115122089209910.1111/eva.13502Evolution of reproductive life‐history and dispersal traits during the range expansion of a biological control agentEliza I. Clark0Ellyn V. Bitume1Dan W. Bean2Amanda R. Stahlke3Paul A. Hohenlohe4Ruth A. Hufbauer5Graduate Degree Program in Ecology, Department of Agricultural Biology Colorado State University Fort Collins Colorado USAPacific Southwest Research Station Institute of Pacific Islands Forestry, USDA Forest Service Hilo Hawaii USAColorado Department of Agriculture Palisade Insectary Palisade Colorado USAInitiative for Bioinformatics and Evolutionary Studies, Department of Biological Sciences University of Idaho Moscow Idaho USAInitiative for Bioinformatics and Evolutionary Studies, Department of Biological Sciences University of Idaho Moscow Idaho USAGraduate Degree Program in Ecology, Department of Agricultural Biology Colorado State University Fort Collins Colorado USAAbstract Evolutionary theory predicts that the process of range expansion will lead to differences in life‐history and dispersal traits between the core and edge of a population. At the edge, selection and genetic drift can have opposing effects on reproductive ability, while spatial sorting by dispersal ability can increase dispersal. However, the context that individuals experience, including population density and mating status, also impacts dispersal behavior. We seek to understand the shifts in traits of populations expanding across natural, heterogenous environments, and the evolutionary and behavioral factors that may drive those shifts. We evaluated theoretical predictions for evolution of reproductive life‐history and dispersal traits using the range expansion of a biological control agent, Diorhabda carinulata, or northern tamarisk beetle. We find that individuals from the edge had increased fecundity and female body mass, and reduced age at first reproduction, indicating that genetic load is low and suggesting that selection has acted at the edge. We also find that density of conspecifics during rearing and mating status influence dispersal of males and that dispersal increases at the edge of the range under certain conditions, particularly when males were unmated and reared at low density. The restricted conditions in which dispersal has increased suggest that spatial sorting has exerted weak effects relative to other potential processes. Our results support most theoretical predictions about evolution during range expansion, even across a heterogeneous environment, especially when the ecological context is considered.https://doi.org/10.1111/eva.13502condition‐dependent dispersalDiorhabda carinulataexpansion loadspatial sortingtethered flight mill |
| spellingShingle | Eliza I. Clark Ellyn V. Bitume Dan W. Bean Amanda R. Stahlke Paul A. Hohenlohe Ruth A. Hufbauer Evolution of reproductive life‐history and dispersal traits during the range expansion of a biological control agent Evolutionary Applications condition‐dependent dispersal Diorhabda carinulata expansion load spatial sorting tethered flight mill |
| title | Evolution of reproductive life‐history and dispersal traits during the range expansion of a biological control agent |
| title_full | Evolution of reproductive life‐history and dispersal traits during the range expansion of a biological control agent |
| title_fullStr | Evolution of reproductive life‐history and dispersal traits during the range expansion of a biological control agent |
| title_full_unstemmed | Evolution of reproductive life‐history and dispersal traits during the range expansion of a biological control agent |
| title_short | Evolution of reproductive life‐history and dispersal traits during the range expansion of a biological control agent |
| title_sort | evolution of reproductive life history and dispersal traits during the range expansion of a biological control agent |
| topic | condition‐dependent dispersal Diorhabda carinulata expansion load spatial sorting tethered flight mill |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1111/eva.13502 |
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