SPECIES INTERACTIONS

EVOLUTIONARY ECOLOGY

ECOLOGY OF DOMESTICATION

Mutualism Commensalism Predation, etc.

Commensalism Neutralism Amensalism

PredationParasitismHerbivory

Amensalism Competition

Eff

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spec

ies

1 o

n s

pec

ies

2

+

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-

+ 0 -Effect of species 2 on species 1

Interspecific interactions

EXPLOITATION (one species derives a benefit at a cost to another)

MUTUALISM (benefiting both species)

COMPETITION (cost to both species)

Many interactions involve COEVOLUTION

Interspecific interactions

Predation – morphological counterstrategies

Exploitative -- Predation

Predation – physiological counterstrategies

Predation – behavioral counterstrategies

Interspecific interactions -- ExploitativeMammal-plant interactions

Herbivory – evolution of grazing

Plant chemical defenses

Mechanical defense of seeds

Mammal-plant interactions

Forced dispersal

Interspecific interactions -- Exploitative

Parasitism & Disease -- host parasite coevolution

Xenopsylla Rattus Yersinia

Interspecific interactions -- Exploitative

Borrelia

Ixodes

Peromyscus Odocoileus

Lyssavirus Desmodus

Mephitis

Parasite – host cospeciation

Geomydoecus

Geomys

Interspecific interactions

Mutualistic coevolution

Ruminant endosymbionts

Initially parasities

Often evolve from relationships that were initially exploitative

Interspecific interactions

Mutualism

Mammal – plant mutualism

pollination dispersalgermination

Mammal-mammal mutualism

Interspecific interactions

Shared predator vigilance

Multi-species herds(ungulates)

Mixed colonies(hyraxes)

Shared roosts(fruit bats)

Badger – coyote hunting “partnerships”

mutualism or exploitation?

Interspecific interactions

Domestication

Food Transport

Hunting & Guarding Fiber

Disease control??

Canis simensisAfrica (Ethiopia)

Canis aureusAsia, north Africa

Canis latransNorth America

Canis lupusNorthern

Hemisphere

Canis rufusNorth America

Wild canids

Canis “familiaris”

Dog – 15,000 ybp ASIA

Family Canidae

Tundra BritishColumbian

Mexican Eastern

European Iberian Indian Tibetan

mt DNA

Wolf variability (Canis lupus)

Evidence of repeated backcrossing

with wild wolves

Family Canidae

Dog breeds

(relationships inferred from nuclear genes)

Basal clade – Central Asia

Africa

NorthernHolarctic

MiddleEast

Family Canidae

Family Felidae

Felis sylvestris

Domestic cat – ca. 10,000 ybp

North Africa, Middle East (probably multiple origins)

Felis “catus”

Domestic horse --- ca. 6,000 ypb ASIA

Domestic ass ca. 6,000 ybp NORTH AFRICA

Equus asinus

Family Equidae

Equus caballus przewalskiPaleolithic horse

Genetics

2N = 62chromosomes

2N = 52chromosomes

2N = 56chromosomes

2N = 64chromosomes

Grevy’s zebra (Equus grevyi) 2N = 46

Mountain zebra (Equus zebra) 2N = 34

Plains zebra (Equus burchelli) 2N = 44

Family Equidae

Mule (mare + male ass)

Hinny (stallion + female ass)

“Zorse”

E. caballus x E. burchelli

“Zeedonk”

E. asinus x E. burchelli

Hybridization

Equus caballusX

Equus asinus

Domestic horse/ass hybrids

Family Equidae

All equid hybrids are sterile due to problems of chromosome pairing during meiosis

Domesticated cattle (Bos) -- 8000 – 9000 ybp

Multiple origins (Asia, Europe, North Africa)Probable “hybrid” origin

extinct Auroch (Bos primagenius) Wild cattle (Bos taurus)

Gaur (Bos gaurus) Yak (Bos grunniens)

Family Bovidae

Domestic sheep 6000 ybp Middle East

Mouflon (Ovis musimon)

Bezoar (Capra aegagrus)

Domestic goat 10,000 ybp Middle East

Family Bovidae

Reindeer 5000 ybp Northern Mongolia

Caribou (Rangifer tarandus)

Domestic pig 10,000 ybp Multiple sites(SE Asia, India, Europe, Middle East)

Wild boar (Sus scrofa)

Family Suidae

Family Cervidae

Dromedary ca. 5000 ybp Arabia

Camelus dromedarius

Bactrian Camel ca. 5000 ybp Iran

Camelus bactrianus

Family Camelidae

Llama 6000 ybp South America

Guanaco (Lama guanicoe)

Alpaca 3000+ ybp South America

Vicuña (Vicugna vicugna)

Family Camelidae

The only large mammal domesticates from theWestern Hemisphere

Captive (ungulates)

Purposefully captured and raised by humans

Ecology of Domestication

Commensal (dog, cat)

Not originally raised by humans but attracted to human modified habitats

Six requirements for successful captive domestication (from: Jared Diamond 2002. Nature 418:700-707)

1) Generalist diet

2) Favorable life history (fecundity and growth rate)

3) Docile disposition

4) Captive breeding

5) Social grouping in herds

6) Low panic response

Also – genetic “predisposition” for artificial selection(natural variability, hybridization)

Types of domesticates

Geography of Domestication

Predominance of Eurasia

Earliest agricultural economies

Large selection of appropriate mammals

Why?