Dispersal evolution impacts the fluxes of individuals and hence, connectivity in metapopulations. Connectivity is therefore decoupled from the structural connectedness of the patches within the spatial network. Because of demographic feedbacks, local selection also drives the evolution of other life history traits. We investigated how different levels of connectedness affect trait evolution in experimental metapopulations of the two-spotted spider mite. We separated local- and metapopulation-level selection and linked trait divergence to population dynamics. With lower connectedness, an increased starvation resistance and delayed dispersal evolved. Reproductive performance evolved locally by transgenerational plasticity or epigenetic processes. Costs of dispersal, but also changes in local densities and temporal fluctuations herein are found to be putative drivers. In addition to dispersal, demographic traits are able to evolve in response to metapopulation connectedness at both the local and metapopulation level by genetic and/or non-genetic inheritance. These trait changes impact the persistence of spatially structured populations.

中文翻译：

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空间连通性通过人口统计学的反馈，在生活史上强加了局部和超人口水平的选择。

分散进化影响个体的通量，并因此影响元种群的连通性。因此，连通性与空间网络中补丁的结构连通性是脱钩的。由于人口反馈，本地选择也推动了其他生活史特征的演变。我们调查了不同程度的连通性如何在两点叶螨的实验性亚群中影响性状进化。我们分离了局部和亚种群水平的选择，并将特征差异与种群动态联系起来。较低的连通性会增加抗饥饿性并延迟分散。生殖性能是通过跨代可塑性或表观遗传过程局部进化的。分散成本 但是，这里的局部密度和时间波动的变化也是推定的驱动因素。除分散外，人口性状还可以通过遗传和/或非遗传遗传反应，在本地和子种群水平上响应子种群的连通性而进化。这些特征变化影响空间结构种群的持久性。