Fluctuating natural selection accounts for the evolution of diversification bet hedging.

ABSTRACT: Natural environments are characterized by unpredictability over all time scales. This stochasticity is expected on theoretical grounds to result in the evolution of 'bet-hedging' traits that maximize the long term, or geometric mean fitness even though such traits do not maximize fitness over shorter time scales. The geometric mean principle is thus central to our interpretation of optimality and adaptation; however, quantitative empirical support for bet hedging is lacking. Here, I report a quantitative test using the timing of seed germination-a model diversification bet-hedging trait-in Lobelia inflata under field conditions. In a phenotypic manipulation study, I find the magnitude of fluctuating selection acting on seed germination timing-across 70 intervals throughout five seasons-to

SUBMITTER: Simons AM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2677257 | biostudies-literature | 2009 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature