Science, Vol.331, No.6016, 426-429, 2011
The Newest Synthesis: Understanding the Interplay of Evolutionary and Ecological Dynamics
The effect of ecological change on evolution has long been a focus of scientific research. The reverse-how evolutionary dynamics affect ecological traits-has only recently captured our attention, however, with the realization that evolution can occur over ecological time scales. This newly highlighted causal direction and the implied feedback loop-eco-evolutionary dynamics-is invigorating both ecologists and evolutionists and blurring the distinction between them. Despite some recent relevant studies, the importance of the evolution-to-ecology pathway across systems is still unknown. Only an extensive research effort involving multiple experimental approaches-particularly long-term field experiments-over a variety of ecological communities will provide the answer.