Slow Evolution Towards Generalism in a Model of Variable Dietary Range

Elliot M. Butterworth; Tim Rogers

doi:10.1007/s11538-026-01674-8

Slow Evolution Towards Generalism in a Model of Variable Dietary Range

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

Species sharing a habitat will co-evolve to make use of the available resources, as consumption is modulated by competition and negative feedback loops between consumers and resources. The dietary range of a given species determines the resources it has access to and thus the other species with which it competes. A narrow dietary range avoids competition at the cost of over-reliance on a small selection of resources; conversely a wide dietary range provides more alternatives but also more chance of competition with other species. Here, we investigate the evolution of dietary range within a mathematical model of niche formation. We find highly path dependent co-evolution dynamics characterised by long-lived quasi-stable states. Ultimately, stochastic effects drive the evolution of generalist diets, as we uncover in our analysis and simulations.

Original language	English
Article number	131
Number of pages	27
Journal	Bulletin of Mathematical Biology
Volume	88
Issue number	7
Early online date	30 Jun 2026
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1007/s11538-026-01674-8
Publication status	Published - 30 Jun 2026

Bibliographical note

publishing OA

Data Availability Statement

There is no data associated with this manuscript.

Acknowledgements

We thank Matthew Wills for his extensive insights into the biological framing of the mathematical results presented here. We would also like to thank Axel Rossberg for insightful discussions and for pointing out some relevant and intriguing empirical work. EB would like to acknowledge EPSRC DTP funding [EP/W524712/1].

Funding

EPSRC DTP funding [EP/W524712/1].

Keywords

Evolution
Niche formation
Pattern formation
Resource-consumer models

ASJC Scopus subject areas

General Neuroscience
Immunology
General Mathematics
General Biochemistry,Genetics and Molecular Biology
Pharmacology
General Environmental Science
General Agricultural and Biological Sciences
Computational Theory and Mathematics

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10.1007/s11538-026-01674-8Licence: CC BY

Cite this

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Slow Evolution Towards Generalism in a Model of Variable Dietary Range

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Data Availability Statement

Acknowledgements

Funding

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Access to Document

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