Learning to cope: evolution and degradation of complex traits

Gonzalez, Sergio (2022) Learning to cope: evolution and degradation of complex traits. Master's Thesis / Essay, Ecology and Evolution.

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Abstract

Adapting to a challenging environment is key for the survival of endangered populations. Fields like Conservation Genetics or Evolutionary Rescue Theory investigate how small populations can cope with adaptation. However, virtually all models in this field focus on simple traits. Accordingly, our current understanding of how complex traits involved in adaptation are affected by genetic erosion is poor. Here I study whether and when a complex adaptation, learning, will evolve in a large population and under what conditions this adaptation will persist when the population is experiencing permanent or cyclic bottlenecks. I used an individual-based model where individuals have a neural network capable of learning. First, I found that learning evolved in regimes of environmental change observed to favour the evolution of phenotypic plasticity according to other models. Two learning styles of different environmental robustness evolved. Secondly, I analysed the effect of a permanent population bottleneck on the evolution and maintenance of evolved learning styles. When the population size was reduced to 50 or 100 individuals, network performance declined markedly, indicating substantial genetic erosion of the networks. Thirdly, I studied the evolutionary implications of cyclic bottlenecks under different environmental regimes but found no effect on the evolution of learning when comparing to stable populations.

Item Type:	Thesis (Master's Thesis / Essay)
Supervisor name:	Weissing, F.J. and Kozielska-Reid, M.A.
Degree programme:	Ecology and Evolution
Thesis type:	Master's Thesis / Essay
Language:	English
Date Deposited:	21 Sep 2022 08:26
Last Modified:	21 Sep 2022 08:26
URI:	https://fse.studenttheses.ub.rug.nl/id/eprint/28742

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