资源环境科技发展态势分析平台

Phenotypes vary at multiple hierarchical levels, of which the interspecific variance is the primary focus of phylogenetic comparative studies. However, the evolutionary role of particular within-species variance components (between-population, between-or within-individual variances) remains neglected. Here, we partition the variance in an anti-predator behaviour, flight initiation distance (FID), and assess how its within-and between-population variance are related to life history, distribution, dispersal and habitat ecology. Although the composition of within-species variance in FID depended on the phylogeny, most variance occurred within populations. When accounting for allometry, density-dependence, uncertainty in the phylogenetic hypothesis and heterogeneity in data quality, within-population variance was significantly associated with habitat diversity and population size. Between-population variance was a significant predictor of natal dispersal, senescence and habitat diversity. Accordingly, not only species-specific mean values of a behavioural trait, but also its variance within and among populations can shape the evolutionary ecology of species.