Meeting Abstract
Neuroecology unifies principles from diverse disciplines, scaling from biophysical properties of nerve and muscle cells to community- and system-wide consequences of biotic interactions. Here, these principles are used as a common fabric, woven from threads of chemosensory physiology, behavior, and population and community ecology. The ‘keystone species’ concept, for example, is seminal in ecological theory. Impacts of keystone species are far greater than predicted from their relative abundances or total biomasses. Similarly, select neuroactive, immunoreactive, and biomineralization compounds could function in keystone roles. They are rare/uncommon within natural habitats, but exert strong effects on species interactions at multiple trophic levels. A general theory is developed and mechanisms are proposed that would lead to the expression of molecules of keystone significance. Through convergent evolution, these compounds inform phylogenetically diverse species, initiate major trophic cascades, and structure respective communities in terrestrial, coastal-ocean, open-ocean, and freshwater habitats.
