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Updated: Jun 7, 2025

Linking Predation Risk, Herbivore Physiological Stress and Microbial Decomposition of Plant Litter
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Understanding human-commensalism through an ecological and evolutionary framework.

Ruth Fawthrop1, José Cerca2, George Pacheco2

  • 1Department of Animal Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), 6700 AB, Wageningen, The Netherlands; Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences (GELIFES), University of Groningen, 9747 AG, Groningen, The Netherlands.

Trends in Ecology & Evolution
|November 14, 2024
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Human-commensalism is defined as population dependence on human-made resources, linked to genetic changes from ancestral forms. This definition aids understanding of adaptation and future evolution in human-modified environments.

Keywords:
adaptationanthropogenic nichedependencegenetic differentiationhuman-modified environment

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Area of Science:

  • Ecology
  • Evolutionary Biology
  • Anthropogenic Ecology

Background:

  • Human-commensalism describes species benefiting from human environments.
  • A precise ecological and evolutionary definition is lacking.
  • Understanding this interaction is crucial for predicting species adaptation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To propose a clear, framework-rooted definition of human-commensalism.
  • To provide a basis for studying the evolution of species in anthropogenic niches.
  • To enable predictions of future evolutionary trajectories.

Main Methods:

  • Defining human-commensalism based on population-level resource dependence.
  • Incorporating genetic differentiation from ancestral populations.
  • Analyzing adaptation within anthropogenic niches.

Main Results:

  • Human-commensalism is defined as population dependence on anthropogenic resources with genetic differentiation.
  • This definition facilitates study of origins and adaptation pace/form.
  • It aids prediction of future evolution in human-modified worlds.

Conclusions:

  • A robust definition of human-commensalism is established.
  • The definition supports research into evolutionary processes in anthropogenic environments.
  • Future research should consider the complexity of anthropogenic niches.