Eco-evolutionary dynamics

Abstract

Evolutionary ecologists and population biologists have recently considered that ecological and evolutionary changes are intimately linked and can occur on the same time-scale. Recent theoretical developments have shown how the feedback between ecological and evolutionary dynamics can be linked, and there are now empirical demonstrations showing that ecological change can lead to rapid evolutionary change. We also have evidence that microevolutionary change can leave an ecological signature. We are at a stage where the integration of ecology and evolution is a necessary step towards major advances in our understanding of the processes that shape and maintain biodiversity. This special feature about 'eco-evolutionary dynamics' brings together biologists from empirical and theoretical backgrounds to bridge the gap between ecology and evolution and provide a series of contributions aimed at quantifying the interactions between these fundamental processes.

Figure 1

Five study systems where eco-evolutionary dynamics have been studied empirically (reviewed in Post & Palkovacs 2009): (a) the Darwin finches (Hairston et al. 2005), (b) the Trinidadian guppies (Palkovacs et al. 2009), (c) the Alewives study (Post & Palkovacs 2009), (d) the Populus system (Bailey et al. 2009) and (e) the microcosm experiments on the interaction between rotifer and algae (Yoshida et al. 2003; Jones et al. 2009). Photo by (a) A. Hendry, (b) P. Hill, (c) E. Palkovacs, (d) T. Whitham and (e) G. Fussmann.