Stability and the competition-dispersal trade-off as drivers of speciation and biodiversity gradients
The geography of speciation is one of the most contentious topics at the frontier between ecology and evolution. Here, building on previous hypotheses, I propose that ecological constraints on species co-existence mediate the likelihood of speciation, via a trade-off between competitive and dispersa...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2015-06-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution |
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| Online Access: | http://journal.frontiersin.org/Journal/10.3389/fevo.2015.00052/full |
| _version_ | 1818298477038272512 |
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| author | Loïc ePellissier |
| author_facet | Loïc ePellissier |
| author_sort | Loïc ePellissier |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The geography of speciation is one of the most contentious topics at the frontier between ecology and evolution. Here, building on previous hypotheses, I propose that ecological constraints on species co-existence mediate the likelihood of speciation, via a trade-off between competitive and dispersal abilities. Habitat stability, as found in the tropics, selects for the evolution of stronger competitive abilities. Since resource investment in competitive and dispersal abilities should trade off, high competition in stable habitats reduces species dispersal ability, decreasing effective population sizes. In smaller local populations, higher fixation rates of molecular substitutions increases the likelihood of speciation. Higher species diversity triggers more speciation by further increasing the spatial structuring of populations and decreasing effective population sizes. Higher resource specialization also trades-off with dispersal ability and could account for speciation at higher trophic levels. Biotic interactions would therefore promote parapatric speciation and generate spatial patterns in diversity such as the latitudinal diversity gradient. I discuss the main evidence for this mechanism and emphasize the need for studies coupling ecology and speciation theory within landscapes. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-13T04:35:57Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-b7edfd7be2674088845830ebcd43680e |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2296-701X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-13T04:35:57Z |
| publishDate | 2015-06-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution |
| spelling | doaj.art-b7edfd7be2674088845830ebcd43680e2022-12-21T23:59:27ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution2296-701X2015-06-01310.3389/fevo.2015.00052144805Stability and the competition-dispersal trade-off as drivers of speciation and biodiversity gradientsLoïc ePellissier0University of FribourgThe geography of speciation is one of the most contentious topics at the frontier between ecology and evolution. Here, building on previous hypotheses, I propose that ecological constraints on species co-existence mediate the likelihood of speciation, via a trade-off between competitive and dispersal abilities. Habitat stability, as found in the tropics, selects for the evolution of stronger competitive abilities. Since resource investment in competitive and dispersal abilities should trade off, high competition in stable habitats reduces species dispersal ability, decreasing effective population sizes. In smaller local populations, higher fixation rates of molecular substitutions increases the likelihood of speciation. Higher species diversity triggers more speciation by further increasing the spatial structuring of populations and decreasing effective population sizes. Higher resource specialization also trades-off with dispersal ability and could account for speciation at higher trophic levels. Biotic interactions would therefore promote parapatric speciation and generate spatial patterns in diversity such as the latitudinal diversity gradient. I discuss the main evidence for this mechanism and emphasize the need for studies coupling ecology and speciation theory within landscapes.http://journal.frontiersin.org/Journal/10.3389/fevo.2015.00052/fullDispersalcompetitionmolecular evolutionbiotic interactionstrade-offshabitat stability |
| spellingShingle | Loïc ePellissier Stability and the competition-dispersal trade-off as drivers of speciation and biodiversity gradients Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution Dispersal competition molecular evolution biotic interactions trade-offs habitat stability |
| title | Stability and the competition-dispersal trade-off as drivers of speciation and biodiversity gradients |
| title_full | Stability and the competition-dispersal trade-off as drivers of speciation and biodiversity gradients |
| title_fullStr | Stability and the competition-dispersal trade-off as drivers of speciation and biodiversity gradients |
| title_full_unstemmed | Stability and the competition-dispersal trade-off as drivers of speciation and biodiversity gradients |
| title_short | Stability and the competition-dispersal trade-off as drivers of speciation and biodiversity gradients |
| title_sort | stability and the competition dispersal trade off as drivers of speciation and biodiversity gradients |
| topic | Dispersal competition molecular evolution biotic interactions trade-offs habitat stability |
| url | http://journal.frontiersin.org/Journal/10.3389/fevo.2015.00052/full |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT loicepellissier stabilityandthecompetitiondispersaltradeoffasdriversofspeciationandbiodiversitygradients |