Bridging micro- and macroevolution in an old insect order

Erik Svensson

In this talk, I will present recent research from my laboratory aiming to bridge the divide between micro- and macroevolution, using the insect order Odonata (dragonflies and damselflies) as model organisms. These enigmatic insects show great diversity in terms of phenotypic traits like body size, colouration, behaviours and ecology, yet they are also remarkably conserved and have a long macroevolutionary history, going back to the Carboniferous geological period, about 350 million years B.P. Their rich fossil history, in combination with increasing availability of molecular, phylogenetic and phenotypic data makes these insects an excellent group to integrate studies of microevolutionary processes within and between populations to macroevolutionary diversification. I will especially focus on stasis and evolution of body size, sexual selection and the evolution of female-limited colour polymorphisms maintained by frequency-dependent sexual conflict. Finally, I argue that evolutionary biology would benefit from a great diversity of study organisms, and that Odonata can help to diversify our field in that respect by providing a bridge between microevolutionary dynamics and macroevolutionary diversification.

University of Lund, Sweden

erik.svensson@biol.lu.se

Recent publications:

1 Svensson, E.I., Willink, B., Duryea, M.C. and Lancaster, L.T. (2020), Temperature drives pre‐reproductive selection and shapes the biogeography of a female polymorphism. Ecol. Lett. 23: 149-159.

2  Willink, B. M. Duryea, C.M., and Svensson, E.I. (2019). Macroevolutionary origin and adaptive function of a polymorphic female signal involved in sexual conflict. Am. Nat. 194: 707-724

3 Waller, J.T. and Svensson, E.I. (2017), Body size evolution in an old insect order: No evidence for Cope's Rule in spite of fitness benefits of large size. Evolution 71: 2178-2193