What genomic data can reveal about eco-evolutionary dynamics

Nat Ecol Evol. 2018 Jan;2(1):9-15. doi: 10.1038/s41559-017-0385-2. Epub 2017 Nov 20.

Abstract

Recognition that evolution operates on the same timescale as ecological processes has motivated growing interest in eco-evolutionary dynamics. Nonetheless, generating sufficient data to test predictions about eco-evolutionary dynamics has proved challenging, particularly in natural contexts. Here we argue that genomic data can be integrated into the study of eco-evolutionary dynamics in ways that deepen our understanding of the interplay between ecology and evolution. Specifically, we outline five major questions in the study of eco-evolutionary dynamics for which genomic data may provide answers. Although genomic data alone will not be sufficient to resolve these challenges, integrating genomic data can provide a more mechanistic understanding of the causes of phenotypic change, help elucidate the mechanisms driving eco-evolutionary dynamics, and lead to more accurate evolutionary predictions of eco-evolutionary dynamics in nature.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Biological Evolution*
  • Ecology
  • Ecosystem*
  • Genome*
  • Genomics