Iowa State University Capstones, Theses and Graduate Theses and Dissertations Dissertations 2019 Past, present and future: Geographic and temporal variation in a fig–fig wasp mutualism Finn Piatscheck Iowa State University Follow this and additional works at: https://lib.dr.iastate.edu/etd Part of the Biology Commons, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Commons, and the Genetics Commons Recommended Citation Piatscheck, Finn, "Past, present and future: Geographic and temporal variation in a fig–fig wasp mutualism" (2019). Graduate Theses and Dissertations. 17541. https://lib.dr.iastate.edu/etd/17541 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Iowa State University Capstones, Theses and Dissertations at Iowa State University Digital Repository. It has been accepted for inclusion in Graduate Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of Iowa State University Digital Repository. For more information, please contact [email protected]. 1 Past, present and future: Geographic and temporal variation in a fig–fig wasp mutualism by Finn Piatscheck A dissertation submitted to the graduate faculty in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY Major: Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Program of Study Committee: John Nason, Major Professor Dean Adams Kevin Roe Thomas Sappington Peter Wolter The student author, whose presentation of the scholarship herein was approved by the program of study committee, is solely responsible for the content of this dissertation. The Graduate College will ensure this dissertation is globally accessible and will not permit alterations after a degree is conferred. Iowa State University Ames, Iowa 2019 Copyright © Finn Piatscheck, 2019. All rights reserved. ii DEDICATION This dissertation is dedicated to Daniel Châtellier, loving uncle that will remain in my memories as one of the nicest persons I have ever known. iii TABLE OF CONTENTS Page LIST OF FIGURES ...................................................................................................................... vii LIST OF TABLES ...........................................................................................................................x ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ............................................................................................................. xi ABSTRACT ...................................................................................................................................xv CHAPTER 1. GENERAL INTRODUCTION ................................................................................1 1. Living organisms in complex environments ......................................................................... 1 1.1 A world of interspecific interactions .............................................................................. 1 1.2. Evolutionary aspects...................................................................................................... 4 1.3. Temporal and geographic variations of the environment and consequences on species interactions ............................................................................................................... 6 2. Mutualisms ............................................................................................................................ 8 2.1. Mutualisms: reciprocal beneficial interactions between species ................................... 8 2.2. Challenges in understanding the origin and persistence in mutualisms ...................... 11 2.3. Mutualisms in a changing world ................................................................................. 12 3. Scientific aims, biological model and structure of this dissertation .................................... 13 3.1. Motivation and goals ................................................................................................... 13 3.2. The fig–fig wasp mutualisms: a textbook case of nursery pollination mutualism ...... 15 3.3. Ficus petiolaris and its associated obligated insect community in Mexico: the biological model for this dissertation ................................................................................. 18 3.4. Organization of this dissertation.................................................................................. 19 References ............................................................................................................................... 21 CHAPTER 2. PHYLOGEOGRAPHY OF FICUS PETIOLARIS, A WIDESPREAD MEXICAN ENDEMIC FIG TREE ...............................................................................................37 Abstract .................................................................................................................................... 37 1. Introduction ......................................................................................................................... 38 2. Materials and methods ......................................................................................................... 45 2.1. Study system, populations and sampling .................................................................... 45 2.2. Ficus petiolaris occurrence data .................................................................................. 47 2.3. Pleistocene habitat suitability modeling ...................................................................... 48 2.4. Genome sequencing and SNPs calling ........................................................................ 50 2.5. Phylogeographic analysis of population structure....................................................... 52 2.6 Geographical patterns of genetic diversity and differentiation .................................... 53 3. Results ................................................................................................................................. 54 3.1. Past habitat suitability ................................................................................................. 54 3.2. Genomic data ............................................................................................................... 54 3.3. Phylogeographic analysis of population genetic structure .......................................... 55 3.4. Geographical population genetics ............................................................................... 58 iv 4. Discussion ............................................................................................................................ 59 5. Conclusion ........................................................................................................................... 65 Acknowledgements ................................................................................................................. 65 CHAPTER 3. LANDSCAPE-LEVEL ANALYSIS OF A FIG-POLLINATOR-PARASITE COMMUNITY: GEOGRAPHIC AND TEMPORAL VARIATION IN SPECIES REPONSES TO BIOLOGICAL AND CLIMATIC VARIABLES ..............................................86 Abstract .................................................................................................................................... 86 1. Introduction ......................................................................................................................... 87 2. Materials and methods ......................................................................................................... 93 2.1. The biological system .................................................................................................. 93 2.2. Site distribution and sampling ..................................................................................... 95 2.3. Wasp collection and identification .............................................................................. 96 2.4. Syconia-level predictor variables ................................................................................ 96 2.5. Tree-level predictor variables ...................................................................................... 97 2.6. Neighborhood-level predictor variables ...................................................................... 97 2.7. Abiotic predictor variables .......................................................................................... 98 2.8. Analysis of temporal and geographic variation of biotic and abiotic reproductive variables.............................................................................................................................. 99 2. 9. Modeling the ecological correlates of F. petiolaris reproductive variables ............. 100 2.10. Modeling the ecological correlates of foundresses counts ...................................... 100 2.11. Modeling the ecological correlates of pollinator and non-pollinating fig wasps production ......................................................................................................................... 101 3. Results ............................................................................................................................... 102 3.1. The fig wasp community associated with F. petiolaris ............................................. 102 3.2. Temporal and geographic variation of biotic and abiotic variables .......................... 104 3.3. Modeling the ecological correlates of F. petiolaris reproductive variables .............. 106 3.4. Modeling the ecological correlates of foundresses counts ........................................ 106 3.5. Modeling the ecological correlates of pollinator