Biology – Quantitative Biology – Populations and Evolution
Scientific paper
2010-07-30
Biology
Quantitative Biology
Populations and Evolution
12 pages, 7 figures
Scientific paper
We investigate how the pattern of contacts between species in mutualistic ecosystems is affected by the phylogenetic proximity between the species of each guild. We develop several theoretical tools to measure that effect and we use them to examine some real mutualistic sytems. We aim at establishing the role of such proximity in the emergence of a nested pattern of contacts. We conclude that although phylogenetic proximity is compatible with nestedness it can not be claimed to determine it. We find that nestedness can instead be attributed to a general rule by which species tend to behave as generalists holding contacts with counterparts that already have a large number of contacts. A nested ecosystem generated by this rule, shows high phylogenetic diversity. This is to say, the counterparts of species having similar degrees are not phylogenetic neighbours.
Alvarez-Hamelin José Ignacio
Burgos Enrique
Ceva Horacio
Hernández Laura
Perazzo Roberto P. J.
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