The Evolution of Multivariate Maternal Effects

摘要: There is a growing interest in predicting the social and ecological contexts that favor evolution of maternal effects. Most predictions focus, however, on effects affect only single character, whereas poorly understood presence suites interacting traits. To overcome this, we simulate multivariate (captured by matrix M) fluctuating environment. We find rate environmental fluctuations has substantial effect properties M: slowly changing environments, offspring are selected to have phenotype roughly similar phenotype, so M characterized positive dominant eigenvalues; contrast, rapidly environments Ms with eigenvalues negative, as which substantially differs from phenotype. Moreover, when selection one character temporally delayed relative other traits, striking pattern cross-trait characters influence not same offspring, but also characters. Additionally, contains more stochastic noise large evolve those traits experience smallest amounts noise. The these shows individual cannot be studied isolation, their study context may provide important insights about nature past selection. Our results call for studies measure wild populations.