This book celebrates the guppy's unique contribution to evolutionary ecology. Ever since Caryl Haskins described guppy populations as a 'natural experiment' because of the way predation pressure varies over a small geographical area, generations of researchers have been drawn to Trinidad to investigate evolution in the wild. The species continues to provide classic examples of natural selection in action and elegantly illustrates how ecology, evolution, and behaviour are interlinked. Anne Magurran's account of the evolutionary ecology of the guppy integrates historical breakthroughs with new research in this fast-moving field. She reveals how guppies provided some of the first evidence of sperm competition and sexual selection, and how they continue to inform scientific thought on mating systems and cryptic choice. The consequences of variation in predation risk--as well as a host of other biotic and abiotic factors--are described and evaluated at all life stages from conception to death. The book discusses behavioural responses to ecological conditions alongside life history patterns. It examines the potential for ecological speciation and discusses new research into how reproductive isolating mechanisms become established in promiscuous mating systems. Conservation issues are also considered, both in terms of protecting the irreplaceable Trinidadian guppy system and in the context of invasion ecology. This timely synthesis of research into a species that has raised key questions in evolutionary ecology will be of great interest to graduate level students as well as professional researchers in the fields of behavioural ecology and evolutionary biology.
Author(s): Anne E. Magurran
Year: 2005
Language: English
Pages: 224
Contents......Page 10
1 Preview......Page 14
1.2.2 Taxonomy and phylogeny......Page 16
1.2.3 Distribution......Page 17
1.2.5 Reproduction......Page 20
1.2.6 Life-history patterns......Page 21
1.3 Overview of the book......Page 22
2 Ecology of the guppy in Trinidad......Page 24
2.2 Predators......Page 26
2.2.1 Fish predators......Page 28
2.2.3 Avian predators......Page 37
2.2.5 Invertebrate predators......Page 40
2.3 … and productivity......Page 42
2.4 Feeding behaviour of the guppy......Page 43
2.5 Parasites......Page 46
2.6.1 Density......Page 47
2.6.2 Sex ratio......Page 48
2.7 Geographical variation in guppy traits......Page 52
2.8 Conclusions......Page 53
3 Evading predators......Page 55
3.1.1 Predator avoidance......Page 56
3.1.2 Detection......Page 57
3.1.3 Discrimination......Page 58
3.1.4 Inhibition......Page 59
3.1.5 Predator monitoring......Page 60
3.1.6 Predator inspection and reciprocity—a guppy’s eye view......Page 62
3.2 Consequences of variation in predation risk......Page 65
3.3 Evidence for evolution......Page 67
3.4 Kinship, familiarity, and predator avoidance......Page 73
3.5 Populations and learning......Page 76
3.6 Ontogenetic shifts in behaviour and morphology......Page 78
3.7 Differences between the sexes in response to predation......Page 80
3.8 Conclusions......Page 83
4 Reproduction......Page 84
4.1 Reproductive biology and behaviour......Page 85
4.2 Female (and male) choice......Page 91
4.3 Variation in mate choice and reproductive behaviour in relation to risk......Page 96
4.4 Multiple mating......Page 99
4.5 Sperm competition......Page 103
4.6 Cryptic choice?......Page 104
4.7 Good genes?......Page 105
4.8 Conclusions......Page 107
5.1 Evolution of life-history patterns......Page 108
5.2 The role of predators......Page 110
5.3 Resource availability and intraspecific competition......Page 117
5.4 Seasonality......Page 119
5.6 Plasticity and predators......Page 120
5.7 Temperature effects......Page 121
5.8 Aging and senescence......Page 123
5.9 Conclusions......Page 127
6.1 The case against incipient speciation......Page 129
6.3 Pre-mating isolation......Page 131
6.4 Sexual coercion......Page 135
6.5 Post-mating, pre-zygotic (gametic) isolation......Page 137
6.6 Post-zygotic isolation......Page 139
6.7 Learned mate recognition and reproductive isolation......Page 141
6.8 Relative importance of different reproductive barriers......Page 143
6.9 Sympatric speciation......Page 144
6.10 Conclusions......Page 145
7.1 Guppies as a model species for conservation......Page 146
7.1.1 Inbreeding......Page 148
7.2 Populations in peril......Page 149
7.3 Distribution of research effort in the Northern Range in Trinidad......Page 152
7.4 Population viability......Page 155
7.5 Long-term consequences of artificial introductions......Page 158
7.6 Exotic guppies......Page 159
7.7 Conclusions......Page 160
8.1 The test of time......Page 162
8.2.1 The guppy genome......Page 163
8.2.3 Dynamics of sperm competition......Page 164
8.2.6 Lifetime reproductive success......Page 165
8.3 Some thoughts on experimental design......Page 166
8.4 More than the sum of the parts......Page 168
References......Page 169
B......Page 206
C......Page 207
D......Page 208
F......Page 209
G......Page 210
I......Page 211
L......Page 212
M......Page 213
P......Page 214
Q......Page 215
S......Page 216
W......Page 218
Z......Page 219
