Skip to main content
bioRxiv
  • Home
  • About
  • Submit
  • ALERTS / RSS
Advanced Search
New Results

Evolution in interacting species alters predator life history traits, behavior and morphology in experimental microbial communities

View ORCID ProfileJohannes Cairns, View ORCID ProfileFelix Moerman, View ORCID ProfileEmanuel A. Fronhofer, View ORCID ProfileFlorian Altermatt, View ORCID ProfileTeppo Hiltunen
doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/748582
Johannes Cairns
1Wellcome Sanger Institute, Cambridge, CB10 1SA, UK; Organismal and Evolutionary Biology Research Programme, Department of Computer Science, 00014 University of Helsinki, Finland
2Department of Microbiology, P.O. Box 56, 00014 University of Helsinki, Finland
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
  • ORCID record for Johannes Cairns
Felix Moerman
3Department of Aquatic Ecology, Eawag, Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, Überlandstrasse 133, 8600 Dübendorf, Switzerland
4Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse190, 8057 Zürich, Switzerland
5ISEM, University of Montpellier, CNRS, EPHE, IRD, Montpellier, France
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
  • ORCID record for Felix Moerman
Emanuel A. Fronhofer
5ISEM, University of Montpellier, CNRS, EPHE, IRD, Montpellier, France
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
  • ORCID record for Emanuel A. Fronhofer
Florian Altermatt
3Department of Aquatic Ecology, Eawag, Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, Überlandstrasse 133, 8600 Dübendorf, Switzerland
4Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse190, 8057 Zürich, Switzerland
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
  • ORCID record for Florian Altermatt
  • For correspondence: florian.altermatt@eawag.ch teppo.hiltunen@helsinki.fi
Teppo Hiltunen
2Department of Microbiology, P.O. Box 56, 00014 University of Helsinki, Finland
6Department of Biology, 20014 University of Turku, Finland
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
  • ORCID record for Teppo Hiltunen
  • For correspondence: florian.altermatt@eawag.ch teppo.hiltunen@helsinki.fi
  • Abstract
  • Full Text
  • Info/History
  • Metrics
  • Supplementary material
  • Preview PDF
Loading

Abstract

Predator-prey interactions are key for the dynamics of many ecosystems. An increasing body of evidence suggests that rapid evolution and co-evolution can alter these interactions, with important ecological implications, by acting on traits determining fitness, including reproduction, anti-predatory defense and foraging efficiency. However, most studies to date have focused only on evolution in the prey species, and the predator traits in (co-)evolving systems remain poorly understood. Here we investigated changes in predator traits after ~600 generations in a predator-prey (ciliate-bacteria) evolutionary experiment. Predators independently evolved on seven different prey species, allowing generalization of the predator’s evolutionary response. We used highly resolved automated image analysis to quantify changes in predator life history, morphology and behavior. Consistent with previous studies, we found that prey evolution impaired growth of the predator. In contrast, predator evolution did not cause a clear increase in fitness when feeding on ancestral prey. However, predator evolution affected morphology and behavior, increasing size, speed and directionality of movement, which have all been linked to higher prey search efficiency. These results show that in (co-)evolving systems, predator adaptation can occur in traits relevant to offense level without translating into an increased ability of the predator to grow on the ancestral prey type.

Copyright 
The copyright holder for this preprint is the author/funder, who has granted bioRxiv a license to display the preprint in perpetuity. All rights reserved. No reuse allowed without permission.
Back to top
PreviousNext
Posted December 13, 2019.
Download PDF

Supplementary Material

Email

Thank you for your interest in spreading the word about bioRxiv.

NOTE: Your email address is requested solely to identify you as the sender of this article.

Enter multiple addresses on separate lines or separate them with commas.
Evolution in interacting species alters predator life history traits, behavior and morphology in experimental microbial communities
(Your Name) has forwarded a page to you from bioRxiv
(Your Name) thought you would like to see this page from the bioRxiv website.
CAPTCHA
This question is for testing whether or not you are a human visitor and to prevent automated spam submissions.
Share
Evolution in interacting species alters predator life history traits, behavior and morphology in experimental microbial communities
Johannes Cairns, Felix Moerman, Emanuel A. Fronhofer, Florian Altermatt, Teppo Hiltunen
bioRxiv 748582; doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/748582
Digg logo Reddit logo Twitter logo CiteULike logo Facebook logo Google logo Mendeley logo
Citation Tools
Evolution in interacting species alters predator life history traits, behavior and morphology in experimental microbial communities
Johannes Cairns, Felix Moerman, Emanuel A. Fronhofer, Florian Altermatt, Teppo Hiltunen
bioRxiv 748582; doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/748582

Citation Manager Formats

  • BibTeX
  • Bookends
  • EasyBib
  • EndNote (tagged)
  • EndNote 8 (xml)
  • Medlars
  • Mendeley
  • Papers
  • RefWorks Tagged
  • Ref Manager
  • RIS
  • Zotero
  • Tweet Widget
  • Facebook Like
  • Google Plus One

Subject Area

  • Evolutionary Biology
Subject Areas
All Articles
  • Animal Behavior and Cognition (2430)
  • Biochemistry (4791)
  • Bioengineering (3333)
  • Bioinformatics (14684)
  • Biophysics (6640)
  • Cancer Biology (5172)
  • Cell Biology (7429)
  • Clinical Trials (138)
  • Developmental Biology (4367)
  • Ecology (6874)
  • Epidemiology (2057)
  • Evolutionary Biology (9926)
  • Genetics (7346)
  • Genomics (9533)
  • Immunology (4558)
  • Microbiology (12686)
  • Molecular Biology (4948)
  • Neuroscience (28348)
  • Paleontology (199)
  • Pathology (809)
  • Pharmacology and Toxicology (1392)
  • Physiology (2024)
  • Plant Biology (4504)
  • Scientific Communication and Education (977)
  • Synthetic Biology (1299)
  • Systems Biology (3917)
  • Zoology (726)