A population living in a complex environment might undergo adaptive radiation into a wide range of narrowly specialized types, or it might evolve as a few broad generalists. We performed a series of experiments using the bacterium Pseudomonas to investigate how specialization or generalization evolve.
Related Publications
- Barrett, R.D.H., MacLean,R.C. & Bell, G. 2006. Mutations of intermediate effect are responsible for adaptation in evolving Pseudomonas fluorescens populations. Biology Letters 2: 236-238. (see Nature Reviews Microbiology 4, 322-323 (May 2006) | doi:10.1038/nrmicro1421).
- Barrett, R.D.H. & Bell, G. 2006. The dynamics of diversification in evolving Pseudomonas populations. Evolution 60: 484-490.
- Barrett, R.D.H., MacLean,R.C. & Bell, G. 2005 Experimental evolution of Pseudomonas fluorescens in simple and complex environments. The American Naturalist 166: 470-480.
- MacLean R.C., Dickson A. & Bell G. 2005. Resource competition and adaptive radiation in a microbial microcosm. Ecology Letters 8: 38-46.
- MacLean R.C. & Bell G. 2004. The evolution of a phenotypic fitness trade-off in Pseudomonas fluorescens. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the U.S.A. 101: 8072-8077.
- MacLean R.C. & Bell G. 2003. Divergent evolution during an experimental adaptive radiation. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London B 270: 1645-1650.
- Maclean R.C. and Bell, G. 2002. Experimental adaptive radiation in Pseudomonas. The American Naturalist 160: 569-581.
- Buckling A., Kassen R., Bell G. & Rainey P. 2000. Disturbance and diversity in experimental microcosms. Nature 408: 961-964.
- Kassen R., Buckling A, Bell G. & Rainey P. 2000. Diversity peaks at intermediate productivity in a laboratory microcosm. Nature 406: 508-512.
- Yedid, G. & Bell, G. 2002. Macroevolution simulated with autonomously replicating computer programmes. Nature 420: 810-812. [News & Views 420: 756]
- Yedid, G. & Bell G. 2001. Microevolution in an electronic microcosm. The American Naturalist 157: 465-487.
Diversity peaks at intermediate productivity in an experimental microcosm.