Cocos Finch

Pinaroloxias inornata

Werner & Sherry 1987

1.  Gleaning from branches
2.  Probing in branches
3.  Gleaning from leaves Arthropod prey

4.  Extracting leaf-miner larvae

5.  Probing in dead-leaf clusters
6.  Probing extra-floral nectaries
7.  Probing flowers for nectar Nectar

8.  Gleaning from the ground Insects and seeds

Werner & Sherry 1987

Werner & Sherry 1987
Werner & Sherry 1987
Werner & Sherry 1987
 Niche Variation Hypothesis
Frequency in diet

Niche axis
 Niche Variation Hypothesis
Frequency in diet

Niche axis

Niche axis
 Niche Variation Hypothesis
Frequency in diet

Niche axis

Niche axis

“a major cause of variation at least in higher animals and

plants. In other words, much variation is probably adaptive
in itself and is not part of the genetic or phenotypic load”
Cocos Finch Bluegill vs. Pumpkinseed Sunfish

Eurasian Perch
Threespined stickleback
 Mimus gilvus Parus caeruleus Phylloscopus collybita
(Curaçao) (Canaries) (Canaries)

Fringilla coelebs Motacilla cinerea Regulus regulus

(Canaries and Azores) (Azores) (Azores)
 Frequency in
Frequency in diet population

Beak size

Niche axis
Diet variation (V)

Diet variation (BIC/TNW)

Population niche width (TNW) Bolnick et al. 2007

 Ischnocnema
Leptodactylus sp. Leptodactylus fuscus Proceratophrys sp. penaxavantinho

Chiasmocleis
Physalaemus cuvieri Eupemphix nattereri albopunctata Elachistocleis bicolor
 0.9

0.8
Diet variation (V) 0.7

0.6

0.5

0.4

0.3

0.2

0.1
0.0 1.0 2.0 3.0

Population niche width (TNW)

Araújo et al. in press

What are the mechanisms
underlying individual
specialization?
Benthic amphipods/min

Brine shrimp/min

Robinson 2000
Optimal Foraging Theory
 Optimal Foraging Theory

Competitive refuge model

Svanbäck & Bolnick 2005

 Optimal Foraging Theory

Competitive refuge model

Svanbäck & Bolnick 2005

Blackwater Lake, BC

Svanbäck & Bolnick 2007

IS

Svanbäck & Bolnick 2007

 Frequency in diet

Niche axis
 Resource polymorphism

Black-bellied Seedcracker
Frequency in diet

Smith 1990

Niche axis
 Resource polymorphism

Black-bellied Seedcracker
Frequency in diet

Smith 1990

Niche axis
Araújo et al. 2008
 Resource A Resource B Resource C
Individual 1 24 0 0
Individual 2 48 0 0
Individual 3 20 0 0
Individual 4 1 112 0
Individual 5 0 14 0
Individual 6 0 70 0
Individual 7 0 1 39
Individual 8 0 0 102
Individual 9 0 0 219

Araújo et al. 2008

 Individual niche overlap
network
Individual 1
Individual 2

Individual 3
Individual 4

Individual 5

Individual 7
Individual 6

Individual 8

Individual 9 Araújo et al. 2008

 Clustering coefficient Cws

Cws ~ 0
Frequency in diet

Cws → -1 Cws → +1

Niche axis
Araújo et al. 2008
 Littoral macroinvertebrates Pelagic cladocerans

Low density

Benthic cladocerans

Chironomids
Littoral macroinvertebrates

High density

Pelagic macroinvertebrates

Pelagic cladocerans
Araújo et al. 2008
Degree of clustering (Cws)

Control Low High

density density

Araújo et al. 2008

Number of clusters

Control Low High

density density

Araújo et al. 2008

 Core benthic resource Core pelagic resource

Littoral Pelagic cladocerans

macroinvertebrates

Benthic Pelagic
Chironomids
cladocerans macroinvertebrates

Alternative benthic resources Alternative pelagic resource

Araújo et al. 2008

Araújo et al. 2008
Araújo et al. 2008
Why do we care?
 Why do we care?

Important evolutionary
implications
 Frequency in
Frequency in diet population

Seed size
Beak size
 Frequency in
Fitness population

Beak size
Beak size
First Lake

General trend for γ > 0

across 14 lakes

Bolnick & Lau 2008

Bolnick et al. 2008
 Growth rate (RNA/DNA)
Δδ

δ15N

δ13C Ecological disparity, Δδ

 Growth rate (RNA/DNA)
Δ
PC2

PC1 Morphological disparity, Δ

Growth rate (RNA/DNA)

Ecological/morphological
disparity
Growth rate (RNA/DNA)

Ecological/morphological
disparity
 Acknowledgements

• Dan Bolnick
• Paulo Guimarães Jr.
• Ariovaldo Giaretta
• Sérgio Reis
• Richard Svanbäck