EVALUATING THE DYNAMICS OF COEVOLUTION AMONG GEOGRAPHICALLY STRUCTURED POPULATIONS

Authors
Citation
Jn. Thompson, EVALUATING THE DYNAMICS OF COEVOLUTION AMONG GEOGRAPHICALLY STRUCTURED POPULATIONS, Ecology, 78(6), 1997, pp. 1619-1623
Citations number
19
Categorie Soggetti
Ecology
Journal title
ISSN journal
00129658
Volume
78
Issue
6
Year of publication
1997
Pages
1619 - 1623
Database
ISI
SICI code
0012-9658(1997)78:6<1619:ETDOCA>2.0.ZU;2-S
Abstract
The geographic mosaic theory of coevolution suggests that reciprocal e volution involves three processes that operate among populations: sele ction mosaics, coevolutionary hotspots, and trait remixing. These proc esses, in turn, produce three patterns: population differences in trai ts favored by an interaction, a combination of trait matches and misma tches among populations, and few species-level coevolved traits (i.e., coevolved traits that have spread to all populations). Here I show ho w studies of the interactions between the pollinating floral parasite Greya politella and its host plants provide evidence for most of the c omponents of this view of the coevolutionary process, including indica tions of the ecological conditions that can prevent coevolutionary cha nge. These studies are suggesting that the dynamics of coevolution in these interactions are interpretable only when analyzed over broad geo graphic scales.