Cultural adaptation is one means by which conservationists may help populations adapt to threats. A learned behavior may protect an individual from a threat, and the behavior can be transmitted horizontally (within generations) and vertically (between generations), rapidly conferring population-level protection. Although possible in theory, it remains unclear whether such manipulations work in a conservation setting; what conditions are required for them to work; and how they might affect the evolutionary process. We examined models in which a population can adapt through both genetic and cultural mechanisms. Our work was motivated by the invasion of highly toxic cane toads (Rhinella marina) across northern Australia and the resultant declines of endangered northern quolls (Dasyurus hallucatus), which attack and are fatally poisoned by the toxic toads. We examined whether a novel management strategy in which wild quolls are trained to avoid toads can reduce extinction probability. We used a simulation model tailored to quoll life history. Within simulations, individuals were trained and a continuous evolving trait determined innate tendency to attack toads. We applied this model in a population viability setting. The strategy reduced extinction probability only when heritability of innate aversion was low (<20%) and when trained mothers trained >70% of their young to avoid toads. When these conditions were met, genetic adaptation was slower, but rapid cultural adaptation kept the population extant while genetic adaptation was completed. To gain insight into the evolutionary dynamics (in which we saw a transitory peak in cultural adaptation over time), we also developed a simple analytical model of evolutionary dynamics. This model showed that the strength of natural selection declined as the cultural transmission rate increased and that adaptation proceeded only when the rate of cultural transmission was below a critical value determined by the relative levels of protection conferred by genetic versus cultural mechanisms. Together, our models showed that cultural adaptation can play a powerful role in preventing extinction, but that rates of cultural transmission need to be high for this to occur.

中文翻译：

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学习和适应对种群生存力的影响

文化适应是保护主义者帮助人们适应威胁的一种方式。习得的行为可以保护个体免受威胁，并且该行为可以横向（在几代内）和纵向（在几代之间）传播，从而迅速赋予群体级别的保护。尽管理论上可行，但目前尚不清楚这种操作是否在保护环境中起作用；他们工作需要什么条件；以及它们如何影响进化过程。我们研究了种群可以通过遗传和文化机制进行适应的模型。我们的工作受到了澳大利亚北部剧毒甘蔗蟾蜍 ( Rhinella marina )的入侵以及濒临灭绝的北方袋鼬 ( Dasyurus hallucatus)数量减少的推动。)，它们会攻击并被有毒蟾蜍毒死。我们研究了一种新的管理策略，其中训练野生袋鼬以避开蟾蜍，是否可以降低灭绝概率。我们使用了为袋鼬生活史量身定制的模拟模型。在模拟中，个体接受了训练，并且不断进化的特征决定了攻击蟾蜍的先天倾向。我们将此模型应用于种群生存力设置。仅当先天厌恶的遗传率较低（<20%）并且受过训练的母亲训练>70% 的幼崽避开蟾蜍时，该策略才会降低灭绝概率。当满足这些条件时，遗传适应较慢，但快速的文化适应在遗传适应完成的同时保持了种群的生存。为了深入了解进化动力学（我们在其中看到了文化适应随时间的短暂峰值），我们还开发了一个简单的进化动力学分析模型。该模型表明，自然选择的强度随着文化传播率的增加而下降，并且只有当文化传播率低于由遗传与文化机制赋予的相对保护水平决定的临界值时，适应才会进行。总之，我们的模型表明，文化适应可以在防止灭绝方面发挥强大的作用，但要发生这种情况，文化传播率必须很高。该模型表明，自然选择的强度随着文化传播率的增加而下降，并且只有当文化传播率低于由遗传与文化机制赋予的相对保护水平决定的临界值时，适应才会进行。总之，我们的模型表明，文化适应可以在防止灭绝方面发挥强大的作用，但要发生这种情况，文化传播率必须很高。该模型表明，自然选择的强度随着文化传播率的增加而下降，并且只有当文化传播率低于由遗传与文化机制赋予的相对保护水平决定的临界值时，适应才会进行。总之，我们的模型表明，文化适应可以在防止灭绝方面发挥强大的作用，但要发生这种情况，文化传播率必须很高。