Cespedes Ann M, Lailvaux Simon P
Department of Biological Sciences, University of New Orleans, 2000 Lakeshore Drive, New Orleans, LA 70148, USA
Department of Biological Sciences, University of New Orleans, 2000 Lakeshore Drive, New Orleans, LA 70148, USA.
Integr Comp Biol. 2015 Dec;55(6):1176-87. doi: 10.1093/icb/icv082. Epub 2015 Jun 30.
Maximal whole-organism performance traits measured in the laboratory and the levels of performance expressed in the field often exhibit a mismatch, complicating our understanding of the selection pressures influencing the evolution of performance traits. To better understand the evolution of locomotor performance, we built an individual-based simulation to test hypotheses about selection on locomotor performance. Starting with a population of individuals with two correlated but variable performance traits, we simulated these individuals surviving and reproducing in a complex environment, presenting each individual with successive ecological challenges requiring specific performance capabilities over their lifespan. While most challenges require sub-maximal speeds, intermittent bouts requiring increased performance, such as escape from predators, introduce strong, but infrequent, selection for maximal performance. By comparing the results of simulations run with individuals that only perform at their maximum levels versus those that adjust this effort, we show that intra-individual variation in speed confers a selective advantage, regardless of the extent of that variation. We also show that the direction and strength of the correlation between the two performance traits affects the evolutionary trajectory of phenotypic change. Ultimately, this model allows us to simulate the evolution of movement speeds over a range of selective contexts, offering insight into the factors affecting the evolutionary relationship between optimal and maximal performance.
在实验室中测得的最大整体生物体性能特征与在野外表现出的性能水平往往存在不匹配，这使得我们难以理解影响性能特征进化的选择压力。为了更好地理解运动性能的进化，我们构建了一个基于个体的模拟模型，以检验关于运动性能选择的假设。从具有两个相关但可变性能特征的个体群体开始，我们模拟这些个体在复杂环境中的生存和繁殖情况，在其生命周期内为每个个体呈现一系列需要特定性能能力的连续生态挑战。虽然大多数挑战需要次最大速度，但诸如逃避捕食者等需要提高性能的间歇性发作会引入对最大性能的强烈但不频繁的选择。通过比较仅以最大水平表现的个体与调整这种努力的个体的模拟结果，我们表明个体内部速度变化赋予了一种选择优势，而不管这种变化的程度如何。我们还表明，两个性能特征之间相关性的方向和强度会影响表型变化的进化轨迹。最终，这个模型使我们能够模拟在一系列选择背景下运动速度的进化，深入了解影响最优性能和最大性能之间进化关系的因素。
