The Right Tool For The Job - Some Aspectsof Ecological Adaptations And Speciation

Timetable

The course is organised as fifteen 2-hour lectures (2 x 45 min) during the spring semester. The day and time will be announced just before the course starts.

Module aim (aims)

The aim is to provide a broad introduction to the patterns and processes of speciation. The course will emphasise the genetics, geography and ecology of speciation. Theoretical concepts will be complemented by empirical studies across the Tree of Life.

Pre-requisites in terms of knowledge, skills and social competences (where relevant)

General genetics

Syllabus

Detailed course schedule

 Week 1. Microevolutionary and macroevolutionary processes. Speciation as a process linking micro-and macroevolution. Concepts of species. “Historical foundations vs modern views.

Week 2. How do we study speciation? Markers (molecular, quantitative traits) and methods.  

Week 3. Geographic modes of speciation and other speciation mechanisms (polyploidy and hybridization, reinforcement);  examples.

Week 4.Genetic drift (causes and properties). Genetic drift as a microevolutionary process leading to speciation. Founder-effect speciation; Peripatric speciation; Genetic incompatibilities (Dobzhansky–Muller model).

Week 5-6. Types of selection & adaptations.

Week 7. Adaptive speciation: the role of natural selection in mechanisms of geographic and non-geographic speciation.

Week 8. Ecological speciation (causes). Magic traits; Isolation by adaptation; Empirical tests and experimental evolution.

Week 9-10. Origin and persistence of species despite gene flow; evidence.

Week 11.  Hybridization as a barrier vs a creative force.

Week 12. Sexual selection and ecological selection; Sexual selection and reinforcement

Week 13. Speciation and species identification.

Week 14. Genetics/Genomics: New directions in genetics in the study of speciation. 

Week 15. Summary. 

Reading list

References

Lecture scripts will be distributed in digital form during the course. The publications listed below are optional background and further reading for students who are interested in exploring specific topics in more detail.

 

Week 1. Micro- and macroevolution; species concepts; historical vs modern views

Core / Conceptual: Coyne, J. A. & Orr, H. A. (2004). Speciation. Sinauer; Mayr, E. & Provine, W. B. (1998). The Evolutionary Synthesis. Harvard University Press.

Modern synthesis / comparative perspective: Hernández-Hernández, T. et al. (2021). Speciation across the Tree of Life. Biological Reviews, 96, 1205–1242; Matute, D. R. & Cooper, B. S. (2020). Comparative studies on speciation: 30 years since Coyne and Orr. Evolution, 75, 764–778.

Week 2. How do we study speciation? Markers and methods

Core / Methods & genomics: Seehausen, O. et al. (2014). Genomics and the origin of species. Nature Reviews Genetics, 15, 176–192; Nosil, P., Funk, D. J. & Ortíz-Barrientos, D. (2009). Divergent selection and heterogeneous genomic divergence. Molecular Ecology, 18, 375–402.

Species delimitation: Sukumaran, J., Holder, M. T. & Knowles, L. L. (2021). Incorporating the speciation process into species delimitation. PLoS Computational Biology, 17, e1008924.

Week 3. Geographic modes of speciation; polyploidy, hybridization, reinforcement

Conceptual / Reviews: Butlin, R. K., Galindo, J. & Grahame, J. W. (2008). Sympatric, parapatric or allopatric? Phil. Trans. R. Soc. B, 363, 2997–3007; Mallet, J. et al. (2009). Space, sympatry and speciation. Journal of Evolutionary Biology, 22, 2332–2341.

Classic empirical example: Feder, J. L., Chilcote, C. A. & Bush, G. L. (1988). Genetic differentiation between sympatric host races of Rhagoletis pomonella. Nature, 336, 61–64.

Week 4. Genetic drift and speciation

Theory: Gavrilets, S. (2004). Fitness Landscapes and the Origin of Species. Princeton University Press.

Founder-effect and peripatric speciation: Templeton, A. R. (2008). The reality and importance of founder speciation. Evolution, 62, 263–279.

Genetic incompatibilities: Coyne, J. A. & Orr, H. A. (2004). Speciation (Dobzhansky–Muller model chapters).

Weeks 5–6. Types of selection & adaptations

Foundational: Schluter, D. (2000). The Ecology of Adaptive Radiation. Oxford University Press.

Conceptual review: Schluter, D. (2001). Ecology and the origin of species. Trends in Ecology & Evolution, 16, 372–380.

Week 7. Adaptive speciation

Core: Schluter, D. (2009). Evidence for ecological speciation and its alternative. Science, 323, 737–741.

Empirical: Nosil, P., Crespi, B. J. & Sandoval, C. P. (2002). Host-plant adaptation drives parallel evolution of reproductive isolation. Nature, 417, 440–443.

Week 8. Ecological speciation: causes and mechanisms

Core / Conceptual: Rundle, H. D. & Nosil, P. (2005). Ecological speciation. Ecology Letters, 8, 336–352.; Nosil, P., Harmon, L. J. & Seehausen, O. (2009). Ecological explanations for (incomplete) speciation. TREE, 24, 145–156.

Magic traits / sensory drive: Seehausen, O. et al. (2008). Speciation through sensory drive in cichlid fish. Nature, 455, 620–626.

Weeks 9–11. Origin and persistence of species despite gene flow

Theory & synthesis: Nosil, P., Funk, D. J. & Ortíz-Barrientos, D. (2009). Divergent selection and heterogeneous genomic divergence. Molecular Ecology, 18, 375–402; Coyne, J. A. & Orr, H. A. (2004). Speciation (gene flow & reproductive isolation chapters).

Empirical & comparative: Feder, J. L. et al. (1988). Rhagoletis host races revisited.

Week 11. Hybridization: barrier vs creative force

Core: Payseur, B. A. & Rieseberg, L. H. (2016). A genomic perspective on hybridization. Molecular Ecology, 25, 2337–2360.

Conceptual: Mallet, J. et al. (2009). Space, sympatry and speciation;

Week 12. Sexual selection and ecological selection

Classic & review: Panhuis, T. M. et al. (2001). Sexual selection and speciation. TREE, 16, 364–371.

Ritchie, M. G. (2007). Sexual selection and speciation. Annual Review of EES, 38, 79–102.

Empirical: Maan, M. E. & Seehausen, O. (2010). Visual adaptation and sexual selection in cichlids. Current Zoology, 56, 285–299.; Safran, R. J. et al. (2013). Sexual selection and speciation. Evolutionary Biology, 40, 54–68.

Week 13. Speciation and species identification

Modern approaches: Sukumaran, J., Holder, M. T. & Knowles, L. L. (2021). Incorporating the speciation process into species delimitation. PLoS Computational Biology.

Conceptual grounding: Coyne, J. A. & Orr, H. A. (2004). Speciation (species concepts & delimitation).

Week 14. Genetics and genomics of speciation

Core: Seehausen, O. et al. (2014). Genomics and the origin of species. Nature Reviews Genetics, 15, 176–192.

Synthesis: Nosil, P., Funk, D. J. & Ortíz-Barrientos, D. (2009). Molecular Ecology; Payseur, B. A. & Rieseberg, L. H. (2016). Molecular Ecology.

Week 15. Summary / Integration

Coyne, J. A. & Orr, H. A. (2004). Speciation; Hernández-Hernández et al. (2021). Speciation across the Tree of Life.