Ebenhard, Torbjörn
- Department of Urban and Rural Development, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
Abstract
Evolutionary theory predicts that in metapopulations subject to rapid extinction–recolonization dynamics, natural selection should favour evolution of traits that enhance dispersal and recolonization ability. Metapopulations of field voles (Microtus agrestis) on islands in the Stockholm archipelago, Sweden, are characterized by frequent local extinction and recolonization of subpopulations. Here, we show that voles on the islands were larger and had longer feet than expected for their body size, compared with voles from the mainland; that body size and size-specific foot length increased with increasing geographical isolation and distance from mainland; and that the differences in body size and size-specific foot length were genetically based. These findings provide rare evidence for relatively recent (less than 1000 years) and rapid (corresponding to 100–250 darwins) evolution of traits facilitating dispersal and recolonization in island metapopulations
Keywords
biodiversity; dispersal; island populations; evolution; Microtus agrestis
Published in
Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences
2011, volume: 278, number: 1703, pages: 225-232
SLU Authors
Associated SLU-program
SLU Swedish Biodiversity Centre
UKÄ Subject classification
Environmental Sciences and Nature Conservation
Publication identifier
- DOI: https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2010.1325
Permanent link to this page (URI)
https://res.slu.se/id/publ/31148