Data from: A field experiment demonstrating plant life-history evolution and its eco-evolutionary feedback to seed predator populations

The extent to which evolutionary change occurs in a predictable manner
under field conditions and how evolutionary changes feed back to influence
ecological dynamics are fundamental, yet unresolved, questions. To address
these issues, we established eight replicate populations of native common
evening primrose (Oenothera biennis). Each population was planted with 18
genotypes in identical frequency. By tracking genotype frequencies with
microsatellite DNA markers over the subsequent three years (up to three
generations, ≈5,000 genotyped plants), we show rapid and consistent
evolution of two heritable plant life-history traits (shorter life span
and later flowering time). This rapid evolution was only partially the
result of differential seed production; genotypic variation in seed
germination also contributed to the observed evolutionary response. Since
evening primrose genotypes exhibited heritable variation for resistance to
insect herbivores, which was related to flowering time, we predicted that
evolutionary changes in genotype frequencies would feed back to influence
populations of a seed predator moth that specializes on O. biennis. By the
conclusion of the experiment, variation in the genotypic composition among
our eight replicate field populations was highly predictive of moth
abundance. These results demonstrate how rapid evolution in field
populations of a native plant can influence ecological interactions.