Evolution And Ecology Are Reciprocal Forces, Study Shows
Monday, February 1, 2010 - 17:49
in Biology & Nature
The traditional view in biology is that ecology shapes evolution. The environment defines a template and the process of evolution by natural selection shapes organisms to fit that template. Some recent research suggest, however, that evolutionary processes reciprocate by influencing ecology in turn. Now a team of biologists presents new evidence that ecology and evolution are indeed reciprocally interacting processes, presenting a fundamental shift in our understanding of the relationship between evolution and ecology. Study results appear this week in the online early edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. read more