Evolution
Volume 64, Issue 7, pages 1865–1884, July 2010
EVOLUTIONARY CONSTRAINT AND ECOLOGICAL CONSEQUENCES
Douglas J. Futuyma1,2
Article first published online: 6 JUL 2010
DOI: 10.1111/j.1558-5646.2010.00960.x
Keywords: Community ecology; ephemeral divergence; evolutionary constraint; genetic variation; genostasis; limits to adaptation; phylogenetic conservatism; stasis
Abstract
One of the most important shifts in evolutionary biology in the past 50 years is an increased recognition of sluggish evolution and failures to adapt, which seem paradoxical in view of abundant genetic variation and many instances of rapid local adaptation. I review hypotheses of evolutionary constraint (or restraint), and suggest that although constraints on individual characters or character complexes may often reside in the structure or paucity of genetic variation, organism-wide stasis, as described by paleontologists, might better be explained by a hypothesis of ephemeral divergence, according to which the spatial or temporal divergence of populations is often short-lived because of interbreeding with nondivergent populations. Among the many consequences of acknowledging evolutionary constraints, community ecology is being transformed as it takes into account phylogenetic niche conservatism and the strong imprint of deep history.
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PERGUNTA INDISCRETA DESTE BLOGGER:
Hipótese replicando hipóteses??? E desde quando uma hipótese tem este valor de justificação teórica para invalidar hipóteses???
Fui, nem sei por que, pensando, gente, como a Lógica Darwiniana 101 é difícil, sô!!!
