The Coevolutionary ProcessTraditional ecological approaches to species evolution have frequently studied too few species, relatively small areas, and relatively short time spans. In The Coevolutionary Process, John N. Thompson advances a new conceptual approach to the evolution of species interactions—the geographic mosaic theory of coevolution. Thompson demonstrates how an integrated study of life histories, genetics, and the geographic structure of populations yields a broader understanding of coevolution, or the development of reciprocal adaptations and specializations in interdependent species. Using examples of species interactions from an enormous range of taxa, Thompson examines how and when extreme specialization evolves in interdependent species and how geographic differences in specialization, adaptation, and the outcomes of interactions shape coevolution. Through the geographic mosaic theory, Thompson bridges the gap between the study of specialization and coevolution in local communities and the study of broader patterns seen in comparisons of the phylogenies of interacting species. |
Contents
| 1 | |
| 5 | |
Part II The Evolution of Specialization | 57 |
Part III Natural Selection and the Geographic Structure of Specialization | 119 |
Part IV Specialization and Coevolution | 201 |
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Common terms and phrases
adaptive alleles alternation American Naturalist animals ants aphids associations attack bees beetles behavior biology birds butterflies character displacement coevolution coevolutionary process coevolve communities competition complex crossbills cuckoos defenses diet dynamics effects eggs environments evolution of specialization evolutionary ecology evolving interactions extreme specialists extreme specialization favor feeding females fig wasps floral flowers free-living fruits gene flow gene-for-gene genera genetic drift genotypes genus geographic mosaic geographic range geographic structure grazers Greya herbivores host plants host species hybrid individuals insects interac Journal larvae least lineages Lomatium mimicry morphology morphs mutualisms mutualistic natural selection nectar occur Oecologia orchid outcomes oviposition oviposition preference pairs of species Papilio parasites parasitoids pathogens patterns of specialization Pellmyr phylogenetic phylogeny phytophagous plant species pollinators polymorphisms polyphagous predators prey reciprocal relationships reproduction resistance result rhizobia seeds specializa specialization and coevolution speciation studies symbionts taxa Thompson tion tropical variation yucca moths zelicaon
Popular passages
Page 7 - It is interesting to contemplate an entangled bank, clothed with many plants of many kinds, with birds singing on the bushes, with various insects flitting about, and with worms crawling through the damp earth, and to reflect that these elaborately constructed forms, so different from each other, and dependent on each other in so complex a manner, have all been produced by laws acting around us.
Page 7 - It is good thus to try in imagination to give to any one species an advantage over another. Probably in no single instance should we know what to do. This ought to convince us of our ignorance on the mutual relations of all organic beings, a conviction as necessary as it is difficult to acquire.