Synopses & Reviews
What species occur where, and why, and why some places harbor more species than others are basic questions for ecologists. Some species simply live in different places: fish live underwater; birds do not. Adaptations follow: most fish have gills; birds have lungs. But as
Patterns in Nature reveals, not all patterns are so trivial.
Travel from island to island and the species change. Travel along any gradientandmdash;up a mountain, from forest into desert, from low tide to high tide on a shoreline andmdash;and again the species change, sometimes abruptly. What explains the patterns of these distributions? Some patterns might be as random as a coin toss. But as with a coin toss, can ecologists differentiate associations caused by a multiplicity of complex, idiosyncratic factors from those structured by some unidentified but simple mechanisms? Can simple mechanisms that structure communities be inferred from observations of which species associations naturally occur? For decades, community ecologists have debated about whether the patterns are random or show the geographically pervasive effect of competition between species. Bringing this vigorous debate up to date, this book undertakes the identification and interpretation of natureandrsquo;s large-scale patterns of species co-occurrence to offer insight into how nature truly works.
Patterns in Nature explains the computing and conceptual advances that allow us to explore these issues. It forces us to reexamine assumptions about species distribution patterns and will be of vital importance to ecologists and conservationists alike.
Review
and#8220;Fresh. . . . Well documented and easily accessible. . . . Highly recommended.and#8221;
Review
“Fresh. . . . Well documented and easily accessible. . . . Highly recommended.” F. T. Kuserk, Moravian College
Review
"Enjoyable to read. . . . [Evolution's Wedge is]and#160;a valuable resource for any student or established researcher with an interest in Earthand#8217;s biological diversity."
Review
"A welcome addition to the discussion." Alexander Pigot - BioScience
Review
andldquo;A very interesting book on large-scale species distribution patterns, this is not a repeat of what has been published voluminously on the debate between Diamond and Connor/Simberloff, but a well-written, fairly balanced, and updated account of the positive contributions to science from both camps and the lessons that we all can learn from such heated debates. For those who are interested in island biogeography, for those who are enthused by andlsquo;lawsandrsquo; in ecology, and for those who are intrigued by historical developments in community ecology and beyond, this is a fascinating read. And for those who want to learn useful techniques and algorithms in null model analysis, Patterns in Nature is an entertaining and valuable book.andrdquo;
Review
andldquo;This stimulating book is centered upon an attempt, inspired by Robert MacArthur, to explain patterns of co-occurrences of bird species that might be caused by competition. Are the patterns real or no different from what is expected by chance? The authors adopt an engaging conversational style in confronting the contentious issues and surprising complexity of distinguishing between these stark alternatives. The book will be valuable in showing how ecologists grapple with fundamentally different opinions on how to analyze data.andrdquo;
Review
andldquo;Two fundamental questions of community ecology concern large-scale patterns of species communities. Do such patterns really exist? If they do exist, how can they be explained? Difficulties in answering these questions have given rise to much debate over the course of the last forty years. By assembling massive new databases and powerful new analytical techniques, Sanderson and Pimm have now produced this wonderfully clear account of this wonderfully complex subject. This book will be the standard reference work for everyone interested in the patterns of species communities.andrdquo;
Synopsis
Evolutionary biology has long sought to explain how new traits and new species arise. Darwin maintained that competition is key to understanding this biodiversity and held that selection acting to minimize competition causes competitors to become increasingly different, thereby promoting new traits and new species. Despite Darwinand#8217;s emphasis, competitionand#8217;s role in diversification remains controversial and largely underappreciated.
In their synthetic and provocative book, evolutionary ecologists David and Karin Pfennig explore competition's role in generating and maintaining biodiversity. The authors discuss how selection can lessen resource competition or costly reproductive interactions by promoting trait evolution through a process known as character displacement. They further describe character displacementand#8217;s underlying genetic and developmental mechanisms. The authors then consider character displacementand#8217;s myriad downstream effects, ranging from shaping ecological communities to promoting new traits and new species and even fueling large-scale evolutionary trends. Drawing on numerous studies from natural populations, and written for a broad audience, Evolutionand#8217;s Wedge seeks to inspire future research into character displacementand#8217;s many implications for ecology and evolution.
Synopsis
and#147;The A to Z of character displacement, an exemplary mixture of explanation and inspiration.and#8221; and#150;Peter R. Grant, Princeton University, author of
How and Why Species Multiply"Though there have been a handful of volumes that cover the importance of competition to biological diversity in the past decade, none has so succinctly reviewed the entire field while also delving into speculative but highly innovative and biologically meaningful digressions regarding the role of competition in areas such as phenotypic plasticity, speciation, and macroevolution. The book will be an excellent addition to every biologistand#8217;s library." and#150;Ryan Calsbeek, Dartmouth College
and#147;This book does an excellent job of conveying both the current state of knowledge of character displacement and also the areas where more research is needed. It will be a valuable resource for students and researchers interested in the evolutionary processes generating and maintaining biological diversity.and#8221;
Gregory F. Grether, University of California, Los Angeles
Synopsis
What occurs where (and why) and why do some places harbor more species than others are basic questions for ecologists.and#160; Some species simply live in different places: fish live underwater, birds do not. Adaptations follow: most fish have gills; birds have lungs. and#147;A fish out of waterand#8221; is the expression for a person and#151; and an animal and#151; in the wrong place.and#160; But not all patterns are trivial. Travel along any gradient and#151; up a mountain, from forest into desert, from a north-facing slope to a south-facing slope, from low tide to high tide on a shoreline, from Arctic tundra to tropical rain forest and#151; and the species change. What explains the patterns of these distributions? Some patterns might be as random as a coin toss.and#160; But as with a coin toss, can ecologists differentiate associations caused by a multiplicity of complex, idiosyncratic factors from those structured by some unidentified, but simple mechanisms? Can simple mechanisms that structure communities be inferred from observations of which species associations naturally occur?and#160;
This book is about the identification and interpretation of natureand#8217;s large-scale patterns of species co-occurrence and what we can deduce from them about how nature works.and#160; It draws upon a critical debate between Jared Diamond and Dan Simberloff, one which resonates today as the dynamics of species occurrence are shifting rapidly in a changing global environment.
About the Author
James G. Sanderson is a member of the IUCN Cat Specialist Group, fellow of the Wildlife Conservation Network, and founder and director of the Small Wild Cat Conservation Foundation. He is coauthor of Small Wild Cats: The Animal Answer Guide. Stuart L. Pimm is the Doris Duke Professor of Conservation Ecology at Duke University. He is the author of The World According to Pimm: A Scientist Audits the Earth, The Balance of Nature?: Ecological Issues in the Conservation of Species and Communities, and Food Webs, the latter two published by the University of Chicago Press.
Table of Contents
Preface
1. Discovery of a Unifying Principle
Introduction
A Brief History
Detecting Character Displacement
Phenomena Mistaken for Character Displacement
What Constitutes Character Displacement?
Conflation of Process and Pattern
Reproductive Character Displacement versus Reinforcement
Terminology
A Unifying Principle
Summary
Further Reading
Box 1.1: Alternative Manifestations of Character Displacement
Box 1.2: Suggestions for Future Research
2. Why Character Displacement Occurs
Introduction
Why Ecological Character Displacement Occurs
RESOURCE COMPETITION
COMPETITIVE EXCLUSION
SPECIES COEXISTENCE
RESOURCE PARTITIONING VIA CHARACTER DISPLACEMENT VS. SPECIES SORTING
Why Reproductive Character Displacement Occurs
REPRODUCTIVE COMPETITION
REPRODUCTIVE EXCLUSION
REPRODUCTIVE PARTITIONING VIA CHARACTER DISPLACEMENT VS. SPECIES SORTING
Summary
Further Reading
Box 2.1: Alternative Models of Species Coexistence
Box 2.2: Is Competitively Induced Plasticity Character Displacement?
Box 2.3: Suggestions for Future Research
3. When Character Displacement Occurs
Introduction
Facilitators of Character Displacement
STANDING VARIATION
STRONG SELECTION
ECOLOGICAL OPPORTUNITY
LACK OF ANTAGONISTIC GENETIC CORRELATIONS
GENE FLOW
INITIAL DIFFERENCES
Variation in the Expression of Character Displacement
How Ecological and Reproductive Character Displacement Facilitate Each Other
ECOLOGICAL DIVERGENCE AS A FACILITATOR OF REPRODUCTIVE DIVERGENCE
REPRODUCTIVE DIVERGENCE AS A FACILITATOR OF ECOLOGICAL DIVERGENCE
WHY ONE FORM IS NECESSARY TO FACILITATE THE OTHER
How Ecological and Reproductive Character Displacement Can Impede Each Other
Summary
Further Reading
Box 3.1: Suggestions for Future Research
4. How Character Displacement Unfolds
Introduction
Mechanisms of Divergence
GENETICALLY CANALIZED DIVERGENCE
ENVIRONMENTALLY INDUCED DIVERGENCE
Tempo and Mode of Character Displacement
HOW MECHANISMS DIFFER IN SPEED OF DIVERGENCE
THE PLASTICITY-FIRST HYPOTHESIS
EMPIRICAL TESTS OF THE PLASTICITY-FIRST HYPOTHESIS
Summary
Further Reading
Box 4.1: Suggestions for Future Research
5. Diversity and Novelty Within Species
Introduction
How Intraspecific Character Displacement Works
Intraspecific Character Displacement: Observational Evidence
Intraspecific Character Displacement: Experimental Evidence
Evolution of Alternative Phenotypes
FREQUENCY-DEPENDENT DISRUPTIVE SELECTION AND THE EVOLUTION OF
ALTERNATIVE PHENOTYPES
EVOLUTION OF RESOURCE POLYMORPHISM
EVOLUTION OF MATING POLYMORPHISM
Intraspecific Character Displacement and Species Diversity
Character Displacement Within Versus Between Species
Summary
Further Reading
Box 5.1: Suggestions for Future Research
6. Ecological Consequences
Introduction
Evolution of the Niche
Partitioning of Resources and Reproduction: A Reprise
Community Organization
Character Displacement and Darwinian Extinction
Species Distributions and Geographic Mosaics
Character Displacement and Species Ranges
Summary
Further Reading
Box 6.1: Individual Variation and the Coexistence of Species
Box 6.2: Suggestions for Future Research
7. Sexual Selection
Introduction
How Sexual Selection Works
How Character Displacement Affects Sexual Selection
EFFECTS OF PHENOTYPIC SHIFTS
EFFECTS OF HABITAT SHIFTS
Implications of Character Displacementand#8217;s Effects on Sexual Selection
How Sexual Selection Affects Character Displacement
A Cautionary Note: Process Versus Pattern
Summary
Further Reading
Box 7.1: Suggestions for Future Research
8. Speciation
Introduction
What are Species?
How are Species Boundaries Maintained?
Evolution of Isolating Mechanisms
Character Displacementand#8217;s Role in Speciation
HOW CHARACTER DISPLACEMENT FINALIZES SPECIATION
HOW CHARACTER DISPLACEMENT INITIATES SPECIATION
HOW INTRASPECIFIC CHARACTER DISPLACEMENT INITIATES SPECIATION
Summary
Further Reading
Box 8.1: Selection and the Evolution of Reproductive Isolation
Box 8.2: Suggestions for Future Research
9. Macroevolution
Introduction
Competition in the Fossil Record
Methods for Studying Macroevolution: Rewinding the Tape of Life
Adaptive Radiation
SPECIES PROLIFERATION
DIVERGENT EVOLUTION
Evolutionary Escalation
Macroevolution: Red Queen or Court Jester?
Summary
Further Reading
Box 9.1: Suggestions for Future Research
10. Major Themes and Unsolved Problems
Introduction
Major Themes of the Book
CHARACTER DISPLACEMENT IS A PROCESS, NOT A PATTERN
CHARACTER DISPLACEMENT CAN PRODUCE DIFFERENT FORMS OF TRAIT EVOLUTION
ECOLOGICAL AND REPRODUCTIVE CHARACTER DISPLACEMENT INTERACT
PHENOTYPIC PLASTICITY CAN MEDIATE CHARACTER DISPLACEMENT
CHARACTER DISPLACEMENT PROMOTES DIVERSIFICATION AT MULTIPLE LEVELS
CHARACTER DISPLACEMENT AND SEXUAL SELECTION INTERACT
CHARACTER DISPLACEMENT HAS MACROEVOLUTIONARY IMPLICATIONS
Some Unsolved Problems
Summary