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Natural history collections as windows on evolutionary processes
Author(s) -
Holmes Michael W.,
Hammond Talisin T.,
Wogan Guinevere O. U.,
Walsh Rachel E.,
LaBarbera Katie,
Wommack Elizabeth A.,
Martins Felipe M.,
Crawford Jeremy C.,
Mack Katya L.,
Bloch Luke M.,
Nachman Michael W.
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
molecular ecology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.619
H-Index - 225
eISSN - 1365-294X
pISSN - 0962-1083
DOI - 10.1111/mec.13529
Subject(s) - biology , context (archaeology) , natural selection , natural (archaeology) , natural history , biodiversity , evolutionary biology , range (aeronautics) , ecology , environmental change , climate change , selection (genetic algorithm) , paleontology , computer science , materials science , composite material , artificial intelligence
Natural history collections provide an immense record of biodiversity on Earth. These repositories have traditionally been used to address fundamental questions in biogeography, systematics and conservation. However, they also hold the potential for studying evolution directly. While some of the best direct observations of evolution have come from long‐term field studies or from experimental studies in the laboratory, natural history collections are providing new insights into evolutionary change in natural populations. By comparing phenotypic and genotypic changes in populations through time, natural history collections provide a window into evolutionary processes. Recent studies utilizing this approach have revealed some dramatic instances of phenotypic change over short timescales in response to presumably strong selective pressures. In some instances, evolutionary change can be paired with environmental change, providing a context for potential selective forces. Moreover, in a few cases, the genetic basis of phenotypic change is well understood, allowing for insight into adaptive change at multiple levels. These kinds of studies open the door to a wide range of previously intractable questions by enabling the study of evolution through time, analogous to experimental studies in the laboratory, but amenable to a diversity of species over longer timescales in natural populations.