| Literature DB >> 16271142 |
Corinne Vacher1, Sam P Brown, Michael E Hochberg.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Confronted with well-defended, novel hosts, should an enemy invest in avoidance of these hosts (behavioral adaptation), neutralization of the defensive innovation (physiological adaptation) or both? Although simultaneous investment in both adaptations may first appear to be redundant, several empirical studies have suggested a reinforcement of physiological resistance to host defenses with additional avoidance behaviors. To explain this paradox, we develop a mathematical model describing the joint evolution of behavioral and physiological adaptations on the part of natural enemies to their host defenses. Our specific goals are (i) to derive the conditions that may favor the simultaneous investment in avoidance and physiological resistance and (ii) to study the factors that govern the relative investment in each adaptation mode.Entities:
Mesh:
Year: 2005 PMID: 16271142 PMCID: PMC1298290 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2148-5-60
Source DB: PubMed Journal: BMC Evol Biol ISSN: 1471-2148 Impact factor: 3.260
Figure 1Null clines for physiological (solid line) and behavioral (dotted line) adaptation to host defenses as a function of the shape of the cost function. Black points are stable steady states. Arrows represent schematic phase trajectories. k= 0.1, k= 0.1, e = 0.1, a = 0.4, f = 20%.
Figure 2Co-equilibrium (R*, B*) between physiological (solid line) and behavioral (dotted line) adaptation to host defenses as a function of the frequency f and the spatial aggregation level a of well-defended hosts. Equilibrium is polymorphic in the white plane and monomorphic in the gray plane ((R*, B*) = (1,0) or (0,1)). k= 0.1, k= 0.1, e = 0.1, x = 2
Figure 3Total investment in adaptation to host defenses (R*+B*) and relative allocation to behavioral adaptation B*/(R*+B*) as a function of the frequency f and the spatial aggregation level a of defended hosts in the case of a polymorphic equilibrium (R*, B*). Model parameters are the same than in Figure 2.
Figure 4Co-equilibrium (R*, B*) between physiological (solid line) and behavioral (dotted line) adaptation to host defenses as a function of the search cost coefficient e and the spatial aggregation level a of well-defended hosts. Equilibrium is polymorphic. k= 0.1, k= 0.1, x = 2, f = 20%
Figure 5Enemy life cycle. Parameters W0, H and S are defined in Table 1.
Model parameters, their definitions, range of values employed, and notes on their use.
| d | Defense level of defended hosts | Held at 1 | |
| f | Frequency of defended hosts in the environment | 0–1 | |
| a | Spatial aggregation level of defended hosts | 0–1 | a = 0 when defended and undefended hosts are randomly distributed and a→1 when defended and undefended hosts form two distinct patches. |
| P | Probability of encountering a defended host during a random move in the foraging area | 0–1 | Increases with the frequency f of defended hosts and decreases with their aggregation level a P = f(1-a) |
| W0 | Maximal potential fitness gain when attacking an host | Held at 1 | Corresponds to the fitness gain when attacking a randomly encountered undefended host |
| H | Fitness loss due to host defense | 0–1 | Decreases with the level of physiological resistance R of the enemy and increases with the level of defense d of the host H = d(1-R) |
| S | Fitness loss due to active searching of undefended hosts | 0–1 | Increases with the difficulty in finding undefended hosts, i.e., with the probability P of encountering a defended host during a random move S = eP |
| e | Search cost coefficient | 0–1 | |
| R | Physiological adaptation level | 0–1 | Physiological adaptation reduces the fitness loss H when attacking a defended victim. |
| CR | Physiological adaptation maintenance cost | 0–1 | Increases with the level of physiological adaptation R CR = kRx |
| B | Behavioral adaptation level | 0–1 | Behavioral adaptation corresponds to the probability of engaging in the active search of undefended hosts. |
| CB | Behavioral adaptation maintenance cost | 0–1 | Increases with the level of behavioral adaptation B CB = kBx |
| k | Maintenance cost coefficient | 0–1 | |
| x | Shape coefficient of the maintenance cost functions | Held to 1/2, 1 or 2 | Maintenance costs increase with the level of adaptation in an accelerating (x = 2), linear (x = 1) or decelerating (x = 1/2) way |