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Speciation: more likely through a genetic or through a learned habitat preference?

ABSTRACT: A problem in understanding sympatric speciation is establishing how reproductive isolation can arise when there is disruptive selection on an ecological trait. One of the solutions that has been proposed is that a habitat preference evolves, and that mates are chosen within the preferred habitat. We present a model where the habitat preference can evolve either by means of a genetic mechanism or by means of learning. Employing an adaptive-dynamical analysis, we show that evolution proceeds either to a single population of specialists with a genetic preference for their optimal habitat, or to a population of generalists without a habitat preference. The generalist population subsequently experiences disruptive selection. Learning promotes speciation because it increases the intensity of disruptive selection. An individual-based version of the model shows that, when loci are completely unlinked and learning confers little cost, the presence of disruptive selection most probably leads to speciation via the simultaneous evolution of a learned habitat preference. For high costs of learning, speciation is most likely to occur via the evolution of a genetic habitat preference. However, the latter only happens when the effect of mutations is large, or when there is linkage between genes coding for the different traits.

SUBMITTER: Beltman JB

PROVIDER: S-EPMC1560178 | biostudies-literature | 2005 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Speciation: more likely through a genetic or through a learned habitat preference?

Beltman J B JB Metz J A J JA

Proceedings. Biological sciences 20050701 1571

A problem in understanding sympatric speciation is establishing how reproductive isolation can arise when there is disruptive selection on an ecological trait. One of the solutions that has been proposed is that a habitat preference evolves, and that mates are chosen within the preferred habitat. We present a model where the habitat preference can evolve either by means of a genetic mechanism or by means of learning. Employing an adaptive-dynamical analysis, we show that evolution proceeds eithe ...[more]

PMID: 16011920

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Project description:BackgroundDispersal ability, population genetic structure and species divergence in marine nematodes are still poorly understood, especially in remote areas such as the Southern Ocean. We investigated genetic differentiation of species and populations of the free-living endobenthic nematode genera Sabatieria and Desmodora using nuclear 18S rDNA, internal transcribed spacer (ITS) rDNA, and mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase I (COI) gene sequences. Specimens were collected at continental shelf depths (200-500 m) near the Antarctic Peninsula, Scotia Arc and eastern side of the Weddell Sea. The two nematode genera co-occurred at all sampled locations, but with different vertical distribution in the sediment. A combination of phylogenetic (GMYC, Bayesian Inference, Maximum Likelihood) and population genetic (AMOVA) analyses were used for species delimitation and assessment of gene flow between sampling locations.ResultsSequence analyses resulted in the delimitation of four divergent species lineages in Sabatieria, two of which could not be discriminated morphologically and most likely constitute cryptic species. Two species were recognised in Desmodora, one of which showed large intraspecific morphological variation. Both genera comprised species that were restricted to one side of the Weddell Sea and species that were widely spread across it. Population genetic structuring was highly significant and more pronounced in the deeper sediment-dwelling Sabatieria species, which are generally less prone to resuspension and passive dispersal in the water column than surface Desmodora species.ConclusionsOur results indicate that gene flow is restricted at large geographic distance in the Southern Ocean, which casts doubt on the efficiency of the Weddell gyre and Antarctic Circumpolar Current in facilitating circum-Antarctic nematode species distributions. We also show that genetic structuring and cryptic speciation can be very different in nematode species isolated from the same geographic area, but with different habitat preferences (surface versus deeper sediment layers).

Dataset Information

Speciation: more likely through a genetic or through a learned habitat preference?

Publications

Speciation: more likely through a genetic or through a learned habitat preference?

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