Interspecific competition in deep time: ecological perspectives and a new species-level approach

• Grant number: 24/18993-0
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate
• Start date: March 01, 2025
• End date: December 31, 2027
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Ecology - Theoretical Ecology
• Principal Investigator: Tiago Bosisio Quental
• Grantee: Salatiel Gonçalves Neto
• Host Institution: Instituto de Biociências (IB). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 21/06780-4 - The deep time drivers of biodiversity at the local, regional and global scales, AP.BTA.JP2

Abstract

Interspecific competition significantly influences diversification dynamics both within and between clades. However, much of the existing research relies on indirect evidence, interpreting patterns of diversity-dependent diversification and associations between varying rates as expected outcomes of competition. Many studies often overlook crucial aspects of ecological similarity and spatial overlap, addressing these concepts in a simplistic manner. In this project, we aim to expand the way we investigate interspecific competition in deep time, by proposing approaches that better quantify the role of interspecific competition, and by empirically investigating its role in different taxonomic groups and ecological scenarios. The first chapter will present a comprehensive review aimed at proposing advancements in our understanding of the effects of interspecific competition at macroevolutionary scales by integrating contemporary ecological competition theory into deep-time studies. In the second chapter, we will introduce a novel framework that explores how individual species perceive competition, treating ecological similarity and spatial overlap as species-specific traits rather than describing competition as an average clade descriptor. This framework builds on a previous approach developed at Dr. Quental's lab, that considers temporal coexistence, ecological similarity, and spatial overlap. We will use this new framework to assess the relative importance of competition among Canidae species, where both dietary and spatial aspects of competition might be at play. Finally, in the third chapter, we will apply the new framework to evaluate the significance of spatial competition in two genera of bryozoans.