The interplay of trophic interactions and game dynamics gives rise to life-history trade-offs, consistent personalities, and predator-prey and aggression power laws

Abstract

AbstractBy introducing a simple model of ecological interactions where individuals interact trophically, and through a game dynamic, I show that the dissipative flow of resources can derive evolution and lead to the emergence of a scale-invariant ecosystem exhibiting a wide range of mean and fluctuation scaling laws that govern trophic interactions and game dynamics. The eco-evolutionary approach suggests life history trade-offs are a natural consequence of ecological dynamics and, combined with the non-equilibrium dynamic, lead to the evolution of consistent personalities. Aggressiveness and personality consistency depend on trophic position, and predators evolve a higher aggressiveness and starker personality differences.Author summaryThroughout the history of life, the flow of energy across ecosystems has contributed to the evolution of complex forms of life and strikingly universal patterns on a large scale. However, it is not clear what factors lead to such universal patterns and how they relate to evolution. Simple mathematical models suggest that the dissipative flow of resources through ecosystems leads to self-organization in a critical state with scale-invariant avalanches of activity. The scale-invariant structure of ecosystems results in a complex set of scaling laws governing the structure and dynamics of populations. The same non-equilibrium ecological dynamics derive evolution and account for the evolution of individuals’ behavioral differences and consistent personalities.