Island time and the interplay between ecology and evolution in species diversification. (17th November 2015)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Gillespie, Rosemary G.
• Is Part Of: Evolutionary applications. Volume 9:Number 1(2016)
• Page Start: 53
• Page End: 73
• Publication Date: 2015-11-17
• Subjects: adaptive radiation -- biodiversity -- chronosequence -- ecomorph -- Hawaiian Islands -- Pacific -- spiders; Evolution (Biology) -- Periodicals; Genetics -- Periodicals; Natural selection -- Periodicals; Ecology -- Periodicals; 576.8
• DOI: 10.1111/eva.12302
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1752-4571

Abstract

Abstract: Research on the dynamics of biodiversity has progressed tremendously over recent years, although in two separate directions – ecological, to determine change over space at a given time, and evolutionary, to understand change over time. Integration of these approaches has remained elusive. Archipelagoes with a known geological chronology provide an opportunity to study ecological interactions over evolutionary time. Here, I focus on the Hawaiian archipelago and summarize the development of ecological and evolutionary research; I emphasize spiders because they have attributes allowing analysis of ecological affinities in concert with diversification. Within this framework, I highlight recent insights from the island chronosequence, in particular the importance of (i) selection and genetic drift in generating diversity; (ii) fusion and fission in fostering diversification; and (iii) variability upon which selection can act. Insights into biodiversity dynamics at the nexus of ecology and evolution are now achievable by integrating new tools, in particular (i) ecological metrics (interaction networks, maximum entropy inference) across the chronosequence to uncover community dynamics and (ii) genomic tools to understand contemporaneous microevolutionary change. The work can inform applications of invasion and restoration ecology by elucidating the importance of changes in abundances, interaction strengths, and rates of evolutionary response in shaping biodiversity.