The origin of polymorphic crypsis in a heterogeneous environment
Author
Summary, in English
ABSTRACT Polymorphic crypsis has been observed in several taxa, but has, until now, lacked a firm theoretical understanding. How does a single morph, well camouflaged in one type of habitat, evolve crypsis in another, not isolated, habitat? We here analyze a model of one prey species living in two different habitats connected by passive dispersal. We find that the rate of dispersal, the trade-off between crypticity in the habitats, and the amount of predation determines whether the prey species can become cryptic in two different habitats through evolutionary branching. Intermediate values of all parameters seem to promote evolutionary branching leading to polymorphism, and a more extreme value of one parameter can be balanced by another. Other parameter combinations lead to either a single habitat specialist or an intermediate generalist type, partly cryptic in both habitat. When the predator follows a type III functional response the parameter space for when the prey will undergo evolutionary branching is remarkably larger than the corresponding parameter space for a type II functional response. Evolutionary branching can occur both at the intermediate generalist strategy, or close to a specialist strategy.
Publishing year
2010
Language
English
Pages
1386-1394
Publication/Series
Evolution
Volume
64
Links
Document type
Journal article
Publisher
Wiley-Blackwell
Topic
- Evolutionary Biology
Status
Published
Research group
- Theoretical Population Ecology and Evolution Group
ISBN/ISSN/Other
- ISSN: 1558-5646