On the (dis) advantages of cannibalism
On the (dis) advantages of cannibalism
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DOI：
10.1007/s00285-005-0342-6
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发表时间：
2005-12-01
影响因子：
1.9
通讯作者：
de Roos, AM
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Getto, P;Diekmann, O;de Roos, AM
自相残杀是个体之间的相互作用，可以在种群水平上产生反直觉的影响。一个引人注目的影响是，一个种群可能会在食物条件下持续存在，以至于这种不食人的变种注定要灭绝。这种所谓的救生艇机制受到了相当大的关注。这类研究有时暗示，救生艇机制获得了比食人族更大的进化优势。在这里，我们在大小结构种群模型的背景下，比较了救生艇机制工作的条件，以及那些保证食人族突变体可以在非食人族居民设定的稳定环境条件下成功入侵的条件。我们发现了质的一致和量的差异。特别是，我们发现救生艇机制的一个先决条件是，食人的突变体是成功的入侵者。粗略地说，我们的结果表明，在成人食物有限的情况下，吃人给个人和群体都带来了好处。
Cannibalism is an interaction between individuals that can produce counter- intuitive effects at the population level. A striking effect is that a population may persist under food conditions such that the non-cannibalistic variant is doomed to go extinct. This so-called life boat mechanism has received considerable attention. Implicitly, such studies sometimes suggest, that the life boat mechanism procures an evolutionary advantage to the cannibalistic trait.Here we compare, in the context of a size structured population model, the conditions under which the life boat mechanism works, with those that guarantee, that a cannibalistic mutant can invade successfully under the steady environmental conditions as set by a non-cannibalistic resident. We find qualitative agreement and quantitative difference. In particular, we find that a prerequisite for the life boat mechanism is, that cannibalistic mutants are successful invaders. Roughly speaking, our results show that cannibalism brings advantages to both the individuals and the population when adult food is limiting.