Open AccessEvolutionary principles and their practical application
Author(s) -
Hendry Andrew P.,
Kinnison Michael T.,
Heino Mikko,
Day Troy,
Smith Thomas B.,
Fitt Gary,
Bergstrom Carl T.,
Oakeshott John,
Jørgensen Peter S.,
Zalucki Myron P.,
Gilchrist George,
Southerton Simon,
Sih Andrew,
Strauss Sharon,
Denison Robert F.,
Carroll Scott P.
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
evolutionary applications
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.776
H-Index - 68
ISSN - 1752-4571
DOI - 10.1111/j.1752-4571.2010.00165.x
Subject(s) - biology , adaptation (eye) , multidisciplinary approach , evolutionary dynamics , ecology , evolutionary ecology , natural selection , selection (genetic algorithm) , management science , evolutionary biology , computer science , artificial intelligence , engineering , population , social science , demography , neuroscience , sociology , host (biology)
Evolutionary principles are now routinely incorporated into medicine and agriculture. Examples include the design of treatments that slow the evolution of resistance by weeds, pests, and pathogens, and the design of breeding programs that maximize crop yield or quality. Evolutionary principles are also increasingly incorporated into conservation biology, natural resource management, and environmental science. Examples include the protection of small and isolated populations from inbreeding depression, the identification of key traits involved in adaptation to climate change, the design of harvesting regimes that minimize unwanted life‐history evolution, and the setting of conservation priorities based on populations, species, or communities that harbor the greatest evolutionary diversity and potential. The adoption of evolutionary principles has proceeded somewhat independently in these different fields, even though the underlying fundamental concepts are the same. We explore these fundamental concepts under four main themes: variation, selection, connectivity, and eco‐evolutionary dynamics. Within each theme, we present several key evolutionary principles and illustrate their use in addressing applied problems. We hope that the resulting primer of evolutionary concepts and their practical utility helps to advance a unified multidisciplinary field of applied evolutionary biology.