Complex Life Histories

Clonal reproduction, and the complex life history traits associated with it, is widespread across most higher taxa in plants, in algae, and across metazoan phyla. However, most evolutionary models have focused on sexually reproducing organisms that exhibit approximately determinate development and growth. Our work has extended important concepts in population genetics and evolutionary biology to include clonal reproduction, including developing a coalescent-based method for estimating effective population size, a population genetics model predicting the fate of alleles affecting life history attributes, and a model following phenotypic evolution in organisms with both sexual and clonal reproduction. These models have allowed us to consider effects of clonal reproduction on the evolution of senescence and on evolutionary lag and evolutionary rescue in such organisms.

Publications on this topic:

• Orive, M.E., M. Barfield, and R.D. Holt. (2023) Partial clonality expands the opportunity for spatial adaptation. American Naturalist 202(5):681-698, https://doi.org/10.1086/726335
• Peniston, J.H., M. Barfield, R.D. Holt, and M.E. Orive. (2021) Environmental fluctuations dampen the effects of clonal reproduction on evolutionary rescue. Journal of Evolutionary Biology 34:710-722, https://doi.org/10.1111/jeb.13778
• Orive, M.E., M. Barfield, C. Fernandez, and R.D. Holt. (2017). Effects of clonal reproduction on evolutionary lag and evolutionary rescue. American Naturalist    https://doi.org/10.1086/693006
• Orive, M.E. (1995).  Senescence in organisms with clonal reproduction and complex life histories. American Naturalist 145:90 - 108.
• Orive, M.E. (1993).  Effective population size in organisms with complex life histories.Theoretical Population Biology 44:316 - 340.