A1 Refereed original research article in a scientific journal
Divergence in host use ability of a marine herbivore from two habitat types
Authors: Vesakoski O, Rautanen J, Jormalainen V, Ramsay T
Publisher: WILEY-BLACKWELL PUBLISHING, INC
Publication year: 2009
Journal name in source: JOURNAL OF EVOLUTIONARY BIOLOGY
Journal acronym: J EVOLUTION BIOL
Volume: 22
Issue: 7
First page : 1545
Last page: 1555
Number of pages: 11
ISSN: 1010-061X
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1420-9101.2009.01767.x
Web address : http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1420-9101.2009.01767.x/full
Abstract
We studied ecological divergence of host use ability in a generalist marine herbivore living in two distinct host plant assemblages. We collected Idotea balthica isopods from three populations dominated by the brown alga Fucus vesiculosus and three dominated by the seagrass Zostera marina. In two reciprocal common garden feeding experiments for adult and laboratory-born juvenile isopods, we found that isopods from both assemblages performed better with their sympatric dominant host species than did isopods allopatric to this host. This indicates parallel divergence of populations according to the sympatric host plant assemblage. Furthermore, initial body size and body size-dependent mortality differed between populations from the two assemblages. In nature, this may result in lower fitness of immigrants compared with that of residents and consequently reinforce divergence of the populations. Finally, we discuss how phenotypic plasticity and maternal and random effects may associate with the results.
We studied ecological divergence of host use ability in a generalist marine herbivore living in two distinct host plant assemblages. We collected Idotea balthica isopods from three populations dominated by the brown alga Fucus vesiculosus and three dominated by the seagrass Zostera marina. In two reciprocal common garden feeding experiments for adult and laboratory-born juvenile isopods, we found that isopods from both assemblages performed better with their sympatric dominant host species than did isopods allopatric to this host. This indicates parallel divergence of populations according to the sympatric host plant assemblage. Furthermore, initial body size and body size-dependent mortality differed between populations from the two assemblages. In nature, this may result in lower fitness of immigrants compared with that of residents and consequently reinforce divergence of the populations. Finally, we discuss how phenotypic plasticity and maternal and random effects may associate with the results.
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