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Niche divergence facilitated by fine‐scale ecological partitioning in a recent cichlid fish adaptive radiation
Author(s) -
Ford Antonia G. P.,
Rüber Lukas,
Newton Jason,
Dasmahapatra Kanchon K.,
Balarin John D.,
Bruun Kristoffer,
Day Julia J.
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
evolution
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.84
H-Index - 199
eISSN - 1558-5646
pISSN - 0014-3820
DOI - 10.1111/evo.13072
Subject(s) - adaptive radiation , cichlid , biology , ecology , ecological speciation , generalist and specialist species , ecological niche , ecomorphology , niche , trophic level , context (archaeology) , adaptation (eye) , niche differentiation , habitat , phylogenetics , paleontology , gene flow , biochemistry , neuroscience , fishery , fish <actinopterygii> , gene , genetic variation
Ecomorphological differentiation is a key feature of adaptive radiations, with a general trend for specialization and niche expansion following divergence. Ecological opportunity afforded by invasion of a new habitat is thought to act as an ecological release, facilitating divergence, and speciation. Here, we investigate trophic adaptive morphology and ecology of an endemic clade of oreochromine cichlid fishes ( Alcolapia ) that radiated along a herbivorous trophic axis following colonization of an isolated lacustrine environment, and demonstrate phenotype‐environment correlation. Ecological and morphological divergence of the Alcolapia species flock are examined in a phylogenomic context, to infer ecological niche occupation within the radiation. Species divergence is observed in both ecology and morphology, supporting the importance of ecological speciation within the radiation. Comparison with an outgroup taxon reveals large‐scale ecomorphological divergence but shallow genomic differentiation within the Alcolapia adaptive radiation. Ancestral morphological reconstruction suggests lake colonization by a generalist oreochromine phenotype that diverged in Lake Natron to varied herbivorous morphologies akin to specialist herbivores in Lakes Tanganyika and Malawi.