Multivariate morphological divergence due to intraguild predation
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: Intraguild predation (IGP), defined as predation between consumers of a shared resource, is widespread in nature and likely to be an important selective pressure shaping the evolution of defensive and foraging traits in many ecosystems. In many lakes of Southern Greenland, threespine stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus) can both compete with- and be preyed upon by Arctic charr (Salvelinus alpinus), meaning that stickleback trait evolution in this system may be influenced by IGP. To test this, we analyse multivariate morphological variation within and across 36 stickleback populations, of which 18 sympatric with charr and 18 without charr. We find evidence of stickleback adaptation to IGP particularly in defensive morphology, via longer spines and larger structural armour, though surprisingly not via more numerous lateral plates. Foraging morphology also responds to the presence of charr, with a shift toward littoral-adapted traits. These differences are revealed beyond single trait comparisons, as we discover diverging patterns of phenotypic (co)variance, with generally lower variation and dimensionality and stronger integration in populations with charr, indicative of selection for efficiency and erosion of variation. These findings corroborate the niche shift hypothesis for the evolutionary consequences of IGP. Further, we find agreement between ecological theory of IGP stability and our results on phenotypic change. Ultimately, our study provides a link between a multifaceted ecological interaction-IGP-and its high-dimensional evolutionary outcome-the multivariate phenotype-and showcases the power and importance of adopting a multivariate approach in evolutionary ecology studies.
Source: Evolution
Language: English
Subfield: Geometry and Topology
Field: Mathematics
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
Estimated APC paid: $3,214
OpenAlex ID: W7158098209