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Abstract

Evolution can proceed rapidly in response to ecological change and that evolution can then feedback to influence ecological change. I will describe a general framework for these eco-evolutionary dynamics and then populate this framework with data for Darwin’s finches. I will show how Darwin’s finches evolve in response to differences in seed distributions, and how the resulting variation in beak traits shapes seed and plant communities. These inferences stem from (1) a comparative analysis of 10 years of beak size and shape data for three sites in Galapagos, (2) new genomic data for finches that point toward several “keystone genes” shaping finch-plant interactions, (3) data from multi-year finch exclosures, and (4) spatial variation and measurements of selection on a key plant (Tribulus) with which finches interact. Although much work remains to be done, these results are beginning to build an integrated picture of historical and ongoing eco-evolutionary dynamics in Galapagos.

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