Character Displacement and Aggression in Two Species ofTerrestrial Salamanders

Jaeger, Robert G.; Prosen, Ethan D.; Adams, Dean C.

doi:10.1643/0045-8511(2002)002[0391:cdaait]2.0.co;2

Cited by 19 publications

(12 citation statements)

References 35 publications

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“…When combined with experimental ecological data (e.g., Hairston 1980a, Griffis and Jaeger 1998, Jaeger et al 2002, the observed nonrandom patterns of co-occurrence would suggest that interspecific competition may be widespread. While such hypotheses were initially made descriptively and qualitatively, the vigorous debate over community assembly rules provided much-needed quantitative rigor to the field.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Using this approach, I tested the longstanding suggestion that interspecific competition was prevalent in communities of Plethodon salamanders. When combined with experimental ecological data (e.g., Hairston 1980a, Griffis and Jaeger 1998, Jaeger et al 2002, the observed nonrandom patterns of co-occurrence would suggest that interspecific competition may be widespread. Together, these results provide strong evidence that competitive-based community assembly is likely a general phenomenon in Plethodon and that interspecific competition is prevalent among the eastern species of this group.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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ORGANIZATION OFPLETHODONSALAMANDER COMMUNITIES: GUILD-BASED COMMUNITY ASSEMBLY

Adams

2007

Ecology

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A long-standing goal in evolutionary ecology is to determine whether the organization of communities is reflective of underlying deterministic processes. In this study, I examined patterns of species co-occurrence among eastern Plethodon salamanders and determined whether they were consistent with predictions from a guild model of competition-based community assembly. Using a database of 45 species and 4540 geographic sites, I found that patterns of co-occurrence were significantly nonrandom at both a regional and continental scale, and species of different size guilds were distributed more evenly in sites than was expected by chance. Sites with the highest species richness had consistent patterns of community composition, and with few exceptions, the same five species were present at all sites. Taken together, these results imply that larger Plethodon communities are assembled from simpler communities in a manner consistent with what is predicted through competitive mechanisms and suggest that stable species combinations are possible to achieve at various levels of species richness. These results also provide strong evidence consistent with the hypothesis that competitive-based community assembly is a general phenomenon in Plethodon and that interspecific competition is prevalent among the eastern species of this group.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

ORGANIZATION OFPLETHODONSALAMANDER COMMUNITIES: GUILD-BASED COMMUNITY ASSEMBLY

Adams

2007

Ecology

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“…Several studies have shown that behavioral modulation (e.g., niche partitioning) can be associated with character displacement (e.g., Pacala and Roughgarden 1985), but these patterns were also associated with a shift in resource use. Thus, it is unclear whether exploitative competition was responsible for the behavioral and morphological shifts, or if behavioral interactions were responsible for morphological differences and exploitative resource segregation (for explicit behavioral tests of these differing hypotheses see, e.g., Jaeger et al [2002]). In a recent study, habitat segregation via aggressive interactions was associated with character displacement in body size (Melville 2002).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Character Displacement via Aggressive Interference in Appalachian Salamanders

Adams

2004

Ecology

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Ecological character displacement occurs when sympatric species compete with one another, resulting in morphological divergence. Theoretically, character displacement can evolve from a number of ecological interactions, such as exploitation, interference, or predation, but most examples describe species competing exploitatively for limiting resources (typically food). Here I report a case of character displacement evolving from aggressive behavioral interference, found in a well-studied system of terrestrial salamanders of the genus Plethodon. Using geometric morphometrics, I found parallel shifts in head shape from allopatry to sympatry in both P. jordani and P. teyahalee, and found significantly greater morphological divergence in sympatry relative to allopatry. Both findings are consistent with ecological character displacement. I also show a significant association between morphology and aggressive behavior, demonstrating a direct link between interference competition and morphology. I present a modified set of the criteria for character displacement that are appropriate for discriminating character displacement via aggressive interference from other possible evolutionary mechanisms. For this example, empirical support satisfying five of the six criteria for character displacement is found. These results provide evidence that morphological variation can be generated by mechanisms other than resource exploitation, which has profound implications for interpreting patterns of biological diversity. Abstract. Ecological character displacement occurs when sympatric species compete with one another, resulting in morphological divergence. Theoretically, character displacement can evolve from a number of ecological interactions, such as exploitation, interference, or predation, but most examples describe species competing exploitatively for limiting resources (typically food). Here I report a case of character displacement evolving from aggressive behavioral interference, found in a well-studied system of terrestrial salamanders of the genus Plethodon. Using geometric morphometrics, I found parallel shifts in head shape from allopatry to sympatry in both P. jordani and P. teyahalee, and found significantly greater morphological divergence in sympatry relative to allopatry. Both findings are consistent with ecological character displacement. I also show a significant association between morphology and aggressive behavior, demonstrating a direct link between interference competition and morphology. I present a modified set of the criteria for character displacement that are appropriate for discriminating character displacement via aggressive interference from other possible evolutionary mechanisms. For this example, empirical support satisfying five of the six criteria for character displacement is found. These results provide evidence that morphological variation can be generated by mechanisms other than resource exploitation, which has profound implications for interpreting patterns of biological diversity.

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“…Ecological character displacement is the classic resource‐related mechanism that generates diversity when exploitative competition over a limited shared resource causes ecological and phenotypic divergence (Brown and Wilson 1956; Schluter 2000). However, other species interactions may also contribute to niche and character shifts, including predation (Chiba 1999; Rundle et al 2003; Vamosi and Schluter 2004) and agonistic interactions between species (Murray 1981; Abrams and Matsuda 1994; Jaeger et al 2002; Melville 2002; Adams 2004). Heterospecific aggression may also result in the competitive exclusion of subordinate taxa (Miller 1964; Bovbjerg 1970; Murray 1981; Loyn et al 1983), making agonistic interactions a potentially important feature of invasive taxa (Holway and Suarez 1999; Mack et al 2000; Amarasekare 2002).…”

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confidence: 99%

Heterospecific Aggression and Adaptive Divergence in Brook Stickleback (Culaea Inconstans)

Peiman

Robinson

2007

Evolution

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Agonistic behavior between heterospecifics, in which individuals of one species attack another, may cause a subordinate species to shift resource or habitat use. Subsequent evolutionary responses to selection may mimic shifts expected under ecological character displacement, but with no role played by exploitative competition. Alternatively, aggressive behavior can evolve when fitness is improved by excluding members of a coexisting species from a defendable resource through interference. We tested whether heterospecific agonistic behavior has evolved in brook stickleback (Culaea inconstans) by comparing replicate allopatric populations to those sympatric with ninespine stickleback (Pungitius pungitius). We also tested for heritable variation in heterospecific aggressive behavior by rearing family groups in a common environment. Allopatric populations of brook stickleback were more aggressive than ninespine stickleback, suggesting that pre-existing aggression in brook stickleback contributed to niche shifts by ninespine stickleback. In addition, sympatric adult brook stickleback were more aggressive toward ninespine stickleback than brook stickleback from allopatric populations. Overt heterospecific aggressive behaviors were heritable, and aggression in juvenile brook stickleback increased with age in sympatric but not in allopatric populations reared in a common environment. Brook stickleback have evolved increased aggression when they coexist with ninespine stickleback. These stickleback communities have been structured by both evolved and pre-existing variation in heterospecific aggressive behavior in brook stickleback.

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Character Displacement and Aggression in Two Species ofTerrestrial Salamanders

Cited by 19 publications

References 35 publications

ORGANIZATION OFPLETHODONSALAMANDER COMMUNITIES: GUILD-BASED COMMUNITY ASSEMBLY

ORGANIZATION OFPLETHODONSALAMANDER COMMUNITIES: GUILD-BASED COMMUNITY ASSEMBLY

Character Displacement via Aggressive Interference in Appalachian Salamanders

Heterospecific Aggression and Adaptive Divergence in Brook Stickleback (Culaea Inconstans)

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