Fig. 7

Evolution of adaptive strategies at different ecological time scales. Data from simulations in environments (1,2,3 and 4) are combined, thus totalling 2 WT-VCS × 4 environments × 2 replicates = 16 runs per change frequency. The fractions (a) and time of appearance (b) of the evolver and regulator strategies in the LOD are plotted for evolutionary simulations under different frequencies of environmental change. The first occurrence of a regulator strategy is recorded if the individuals in the lineage maintain a fitness value >0.7 in both the native and novel environment. The first occurrence of the evolver strategy is recorded if for 9 out of 10 subsequent changes the fitness first drops below 0.4 and then rises above 0.7 within 10 generations of environmental change. If an evolver strategy arises that subsequently gives rise to the regulator strategy in the same lineage, this event is additionally marked in B with a red star and a line indicating how long and how (purple: no fitness loss, black: temporary failure to reach fitness criterion) the transition to the regulator strategy proceeds