PUB - Publikationen an der Universität Bielefeld

We build a population genetic model of a plant population attacked by herbivore species whose occurrence fluctuates over time. We study the model using mathematical analysis and individual‐based simulations.

As predicted by the ‘dominance reversal hypothesis’, chemodiversity can be maintained if alleles conferring a defense metabolite are dominant with respect to the benefits, but recessive with respect to costs. However, even smaller changes in dominance can maintain polymorphism. Moreover, our results underpin and elaborate predictions of the synergy and interaction diversity hypotheses, and, to the extent that our model can address it, the screening hypotheses. By contrast, we found only partial support for the ‘fluctuating selection hypothesis’.

In summary, we have developed a flexible model and tested various verbal models for the evolution of chemodiversity. Next, more mechanistic models are needed that explicitly consider the organization of metabolic pathways.