2019/10/21 by Petteri Karisto, Éva Kisdi · 1 voice
Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology · Medicine · Social Sciences · #Evolution and Genetic Dynamics #Evolutionary Game Theory and Cooperation #Mathematical and Theoretical Epidemiology and Ecology Models
paper · doi:10.1111/evo.13866
openalex publication_date 2019/10/21 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/06/11
Functional connectivity, the realized flow of individuals between the suitable sites of a heterogeneous landscape, is a prime determinant of the maintenance and evolution of populations in fragmented habitats. While a large body of literature examines the evolution of dispersal propensity, it is less known how evolution shapes functional connectivity via traits that influence the distribution of the dispersers. Here, we use a simple model to demonstrate that, in a heterogeneous environment with clustered and solitary sites (i.e., with variable structural connectivity), the evolutionarily stable population contains strains that are strongly differentiated in their pattern of connectivity (local vs. global dispersal), but not necessarily in the fraction of dispersed individuals. Also during evolutionary branching, selection is disruptive predominantly on the pattern of connectivity rather than on dispersal propensity itself. Our model predicts diversification along a hitherto neglected axis of dispersal strategies and highlights the role of the solitary sites-the more isolated and therefore seemingly less important patches of habitat-in maintaining global dispersal that keeps all sites connected.