Do hidden differences within populations shape where species live?

Ecologists use the SKT model to explain why competing species don't mix uniformly but form spatial patterns instead. This work extends that model to include phenotypic diversity within populations: individuals of the same species vary, move differently, and can switch traits. When trait switching is fast, the team shows how individual-level variation effectively becomes a control knob for pattern formation, determining both whether segregation happens and what patterns emerge.