John N. Thompson

▪ Abstract Contributions from the field of population biology hold promise for understanding and managing invasiveness; invasive species also offer excellent opportunities to study basic processes in population biology. Life history studies and demographic models may be valuable for examining the introduction of invasive species and identifying life history stages where management will be most effective. Evolutionary processes may be key features in determining whether invasive species establish and spread. Studies of genetic diversity and evolutionary changes should be useful for understanding the potential for colonization and establishment, geographic patterns of invasion and range expansion, lag times, and the potential for evolutionary responses to novel environments, including management practices. The consequences of biological invasions permit study of basic evolutionary processes, as invaders often evolve rapidly in response to novel abiotic and biotic conditions, and native species evolve in response to the invasion.

Species distribution models (SDMs) are numerical tools that combine observations of species occurrence or abundance with environmental estimates. They are used to gain ecological and evolutionary insights and to predict distributions across landscapes, ...Read More

"Traditional ecological approaches to species evolution have frequently dealt with too few species, relatively small areas, and relatively short time spans. In The Coevolutionary Process, John N. Thompson advances a new conceptual approach to the evolution of species interactions - the geographic mosaic theory of coevolution. Thompson demonstrates how an integrated study of life histories, genetics, and the geographic structure of populations yields a surprisingly broad understanding of coevolution." "Thompson examines how and when extreme specialization evolves in interdependent species and how geographic differences in specialization, adaptation, and the outcomes of interactions shape coevolution. Through the geographic mosaic theory, he connects the study of specialization and coevolution in local communities and the study of broader patterns seen in comparisons of the phylogenies of interacting species."--BOOK JACKET.

Abstract The relationship between oviposition preference and growth, survival, and reproduction of offspring is the crux of the problem in the evolution of host associations between phytophagous insects and plants. Observed relationships between oviposition preference and performance of offspring range from good to poor. At least four hypotheses have been suggested to explain observed use of particular host plants that may not result in the fastest growth rates or greatest pupal masses: time, patch dynamics, parasite versus grazer lifestyles, and enemy‐free space. Our current understanding of these relationships, however, is hampered by an almost complete lack of data on how preference and performance are related genetically. These data are needed to understand the origins of covariance between preference and performance and constraints on the evolution of host associations.