Spatial structure could explain the maintenance of alternative reproductive tactics in tree cricket males

Sadiq, MA and Bhat, AS and Guttal, V and Balakrishnan, R (2024) Spatial structure could explain the maintenance of alternative reproductive tactics in tree cricket males. In: Biology Open, 13 (6).

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Abstract

Trait polymorphisms are widespread in nature, and explaining their stable co-existence is a central problem in ecology and evolution. Alternative reproductive tactics, in which individuals of one or more sex exhibit discrete, discontinuous traits in response to reproductive competition, represent a special case of trait polymorphism in which the traits are often complex, behavioural, and dynamic. Thus, studying how alternative reproductive tactics are maintained may provide general insights into how complex trait polymorphisms are maintained in populations. We construct a spatially explicit individual-based model inspired from extensively collected empirical data to address the mechanisms behind the co-existence of three behavioural alternative reproductive tactics in males of a tree cricket (Oecanthus henryi). Our results show that the co-existence of these tactics over ecological time scales is facilitated by the spatial structure of the landscape they inhabit, which serves to equalise the otherwise unequal mating benefits of the three tactics. We also show that this co-existence is unlikely if spatial aspects of the system are not considered. Our findings highlight the importance of spatial dynamics in understanding ecological and evolutionary processes and underscore the power of integrative approaches that combine models with empirical data. © 2024. Published by The Company of Biologists Ltd.

Item Type:	Journal Article
Publication:	Biology Open
Publisher:	Company of Biologists Ltd
Additional Information:	The copyright for this article belongs to authors.
Department/Centre:	Division of Biological Sciences > Centre for Ecological Sciences
Date Deposited:	18 Dec 2024 09:10
Last Modified:	18 Dec 2024 09:10
URI:	http://eprints.iisc.ac.in/id/eprint/85858

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