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Unifying macroecology and macroevolution to answer fundamental questions about biodiversity
Author(s) -
McGill Brian J.,
Chase Jonathan M.,
Hortal Joaquín,
Overcast Isaac,
Rominger Andrew J.,
Rosindell James,
Borges Paulo A. V.,
Emerson Brent C.,
Etienne Rampal S.,
Hickerson Michael J.,
Mahler D. Luke,
Massol Francois,
McGaughran Angela,
Neves Pedro,
Parent Christine,
Patiño Jairo,
Ruffley Megan,
Wagner Catherine E.,
Gillespie Rosemary
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
global ecology and biogeography
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.164
H-Index - 152
eISSN - 1466-8238
pISSN - 1466-822X
DOI - 10.1111/geb.13020
Subject(s) - macroevolution , macroecology , biodiversity , ecology , field (mathematics) , biology , data science , phylogenetics , computer science , biochemistry , mathematics , pure mathematics , gene
The study of biodiversity started as a single unified field that spanned both ecology and evolution and both macro and micro phenomena. But over the 20th century, major trends drove ecology and evolution apart and pushed an emphasis towards the micro perspective in both disciplines. Macroecology and macroevolution re‐emerged as self‐consciously distinct fields in the 1970s and 1980s, but they remain largely separated from each other. Here, we argue that despite the challenges, it is worth working to combine macroecology and macroevolution. We present 25 fundamental questions about biodiversity that are answerable only with a mixture of the views and tools of both macroecology and macroevolution.