Edeline, E. | bioRxiv Science

bioRxiv2019

Density-dependent selection mediates harvest-induced evolution

Rapid life-history changes caused by size-selective harvesting are often interpreted as a response to direct harvest selection against a large body size. However, similar trait changes may result from a harvest-induced relaxation of natural selection for a large body size via density-dependent selection. Here, we show evidence of such density-dependent selection favouring large-bodied individuals at high population densities, in replicated pond populations of medaka fish. Harvesting, in contrast, selected medaka directly against large-bodied medaka and, in parallel, decreased medaka population densities. Five years of harvesting were enough for harvested and unharvested medaka populations to inherit the classically-predicted trait differences, whereby harvested medaka grew slower and matured earlier than unharvested medaka. We demonstrate that this life-history divergence was not driven by direct harvest selection for a smaller body size in harvested populations, but by density-dependent natural selection for a larger body size in unharvested populations.

evolutionary biology↗

bioRxiv2018

Anthropogenic selection along directions of most evolutionary resistance

Anthropogenic perturbations such as harvesting often select against a large body size and are predicted to induce rapid evolution towards smaller body sizes and earlier maturation. However, body-size evolvability and, hence, adaptability to anthropogenic perturbations remain seldom evaluated in wild populations. Here, we use a laboratory experiment over 6 generations to measure the ability of wild-caught medaka fish (Oryzias latipes) to evolve in response to bidirectional size-dependent selection mimicking opposite harvest regimes. Specifically, we imposed selection against a small body size (Large line), against a large body size (Small line) or random selection (Control line), and measured correlated responses across multiple phenotypic, life-history and endocrine traits. As expected, the Large line evolved faster somatic growth and delayed maturation, but also evolved smaller body sizes at hatch, with no change in average levels of pituitary gene expressions of luteinizing, folliclestimulating or growth (GH) hormones. In contrast, the Small medaka line was unable to evolve smaller body sizes or earlier maturation, but evolved smaller body sizes at hatch and showed marginally-significant signs of increased reproductive investment, including larger egg sizes and elevated pituitary GH production. Natural selection on medaka body size was too weak to significantly hinder the effect of artificial selection, indicating that the asymmetric body-size response to size-dependent selection reflected an asymmetry in body-size evolvability. Our results show that trait evolvability may be contingent upon the direction of selection, and that a detailed knowledge of trait evolutionary potential is needed to forecast population response to anthropogenic change.

evolutionary biology↗