Evolution of Competitive Ability: An Adaptation Speed vs. Accuracy Tradeoff Rooted in Gene Network Size
Figure 3
Effect (± 95% CI) of competitor's genetic architecture and the rate of environmental change (dE/dt) on the duration of competition.
The time required for one of the two competing species to go to dominance (i.e., drive the other species extinct) in a single patch is largely a function of the relative difference in network sizes and the rate of environmental change (dE/dt). The focal species' genetic architecture is held constant (as in Figure 1) while the competitor species' genetic architecture varies. Time-to-resolution is the number of generations between the start of competition and the generation in which one species has gone extinct. Resolution occurs quickly when dE/dt is high—we quickly find that one species is not suited to the environment—whereas resolution takes considerably longer when dE/dt is low. Likewise, as the disparity between each species underlying network increases, the time-to-resolution declines. The lower persistence time for 16-gene network competitors is a result of the recombination rate treatment (see Methods).