Alternative Designs and the Evolution of Functional Diversity

According to conventional wisdom, functional diversity is exclusively a consequence of species having evolved adaptations to fill different niches within a heterogeneous environment. This view anticipates only one optimal combination of trait values in a given environment, but it is also conceivable that alternative designs of equal fitness in the same environment might evolve. To investigate that possibility, we use a genetic algorithm to search for optimal combinations of 34 functional traits in a realistic model of tree seedling growth and survival. We show that separate lineages of seedlings evolving in identical environments result in many alternative functional designs of approximately equal fitness.