Ecological model of extinctions
نویسنده
چکیده
We present numerical results based on a simplified ecological system in evolution, showing features of extinction similar to that claimed for the biosystem on Earth. In the model each species consists of a population in interaction with the others, that reproduces and evolves in time. Each species is simultaneously a predator and a prey in a food chain. Mutations that change the interactions are supposed to occur randomly at a low rate. Extinctions of populations result naturally from the predator-prey dynamics. The model is not pinned in a fitness variable, and natural selection arises from the dynamics. 87.10.+e, 05.40.+j, 05.45.+b Typeset using REVTEX ∗E-mail: [email protected]
منابع مشابه
THE QUARTERLY REVIEW of Biology A REVIEW AND SYNTHESIS OF LATE PLEISTOCENE EXTINCTION MODELING: PROGRESS DELAYED BY MISMATCHES BETWEEN ECOLOGICAL REALISM, INTERPRETATION, AND METHODOLOGICAL TRANSPARENCY
Late Pleistocene extinctions occurred globally over a period of about 50,000 years, primarily affecting mammals of 44 kg body mass (i.e., megafauna) first in Australia, continuing in Eurasia and, finally, in the Americas. Polarized debate about the cause(s) of the extinctions centers on the role of climate change and anthropogenic factors (especially hunting). Since the late 1960s, investigator...
متن کاملA Publication of the Ecological Society of America
The loss of species from an ecological community can have cascading effects leading to the extinction of other species. Specialist herbivores are highly diverse and may be particularly susceptible to extinction due to host plant loss. We used a bipartite food web of 900 Lepidoptera (butterfly and moth) herbivores and 2403 plant species from Central Europe to simulate the cascading effect of pla...
متن کاملTrophic redundancy reduces vulnerability to extinction cascades
Current species extinction rates are at unprecedentedly high levels. While human activities can be the direct cause of some extinctions, it is becoming increasingly clear that species extinctions themselves can be the cause of further extinctions, since species affect each other through the network of ecological interactions among them. There is concern that the simplification of ecosystems, du...
متن کاملSignatures of random and selective mass extinctions in phylogenetic tree balance.
Current models of diversification with evolving speciation rates have trouble mimicking the extreme imbalance seen in estimated phylogenies. However, these models have not incorporated extinction. Here, we report on a simple simulation model that includes heritable and evolving speciation rates coupled with mass extinctions, Random (but not selective) mass extinctions, coupled with evolving amo...
متن کاملDiversity components of impending primate extinctions.
Many extant species are at risk to go extinct. This impending loss of species is likely to cause changes in future ecosystem functions. Ecological components of diversity, such as dietary or habitat specializations, can be used to estimate the impact of extinctions on ecosystem functions. As an approach to estimate the impact of future extinctions, we tested interdependency between ecological a...
متن کامل