Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 18, 2025
07:37
Resurrection of Dormant Daphnia magna: Protocol and Applications
Published on: January 19, 2018
18.3K
The value of long-term ecological research for evolutionary insights
Jennifer M Cocciardi1,2, Ava M Hoffman3, Diego F Alvarado-Serrano4
1Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA. jmcoccia@olemiss.edu.
Nature Ecology & Evolution
|August 2, 2024
Summary
Long-term ecological research networks can integrate ecology and evolution to predict species
Area of Science:
- Ecology and evolutionary biology
- Global change biology
Background:
- Predicting species' responses to global change requires integrating ecology and evolution across scales.
- Investigating these processes comprehensively in nature is challenging.
Purpose of the Study:
- To propose using long-term ecological research networks for cross-disciplinary investigations.
- To advance understanding of evolutionary processes and responses to global change.
Main Methods:
- Expanding long-term ecological experiments for evolutionary inquiry.
- Utilizing observed long-term ecological patterns to generate new evolutionary questions.
- Advocating for collaborative, multi-site investigations within these networks.
Main Results:
- Long-term ecological research networks provide infrastructure and data for evolutionary studies.
- These networks can bridge the gap between ecological patterns and evolutionary processes.
- Barriers to conducting evolutionary research at network sites are identified.
Conclusions:
- Long-term ecological research networks offer valuable opportunities to improve predictions of species' responses to global change.
- Integration of ecological and evolutionary research is crucial for addressing global change impacts.
More Related Videos
15:00Daily Transfers, Archiving Populations, and Measuring Fitness in the Long-Term Evolution Experiment with Escherichia coli
Published on: August 18, 2023
3.2K
09:23JenaTron - An Experimental Approach to Study the Effects of Plant History and Soil History on Grassland Ecosystem Functioning
Published on: March 21, 2025
758
Related Concept Videos
02:35What is Evolutionary History?
36.3K
Scientists record evolutionary history by analyzing fossil, morphological, and genetic data. The fossil record documents the history of life on Earth and provides evidence for evolution. However, both fossil and living organisms offer evidence that outlines Earth’s evolutionary history.
36.3K
02:20Longitudinal Research
11.9K
Sometimes we want to see how people change over time, as in studies of human development and lifespan. When we test the same group of individuals repeatedly over an extended period of time, we are conducting longitudinal research. Longitudinal research is a research design in which data-gathering is administered repeatedly over an extended period of time. For example, we may survey a group of individuals about their dietary habits at age 20, retest them a decade later at age 30, and then again...
11.9K
01:20Evolutionary Psychology
257
Evolutionary psychology explores the origins of human behavior and mental processes by framing them within the context of natural selection, a theory famously propounded by Charles Darwin. This field asserts that many behaviors common across human societies — ranging from instinctive fear reactions to complex social interactions — arose as evolutionary adaptations. These adaptations enhanced the survival and reproductive success of our ancestors, thereby becoming embedded in the...
257
02:55The Evidence for Evolution
42.6K
Genetic variations accumulating within populations over generations give rise to biological evolution. Evolutionary changes can result in the formation of novel varieties and entire new species. These changes are responsible for the diverse forms of life inhabiting the planet. The evidence for evolution suggests that all living organisms descended from common ancestors.
42.6K
01:26Longitudinal Studies
150
Longitudinal studies are also widely used in other medical and social science fields. For instance, in cardiovascular research, they can monitor patients' health over decades to identify risk factors for heart disease, such as high cholesterol or smoking, and evaluate the long-term effectiveness of preventive measures. Similarly, in mental health studies, researchers might follow individuals from adolescence into adulthood to understand the development and progression of conditions like...
150
02:54Evolutionary Relationships through Genome Comparisons
5.7K
Genome comparison is one of the excellent ways to interpret the evolutionary relationships between organisms. The basic principle of genome comparison is that if two species share a common feature, it is likely encoded by the DNA sequence conserved between both species. The advent of genome sequencing technologies in the late 20th century enabled scientists to understand the concept of conservation of domains between species and helped them to deduce evolutionary relationships across diverse...
5.7K