Evolutionary Footprint: A Systemic Indicator in Evolution, Ecology and Conservation

Area of Science:

• Evolutionary biology
• Conservation science
• Biodiversity studies

Background:

• Growing awareness of human impacts on evolution necessitates integrating evolutionary perspectives into conservation.
• Evolutionary changes are complex, multi-causal, and occur across various timescales.
• Advancements in eco-evolutionary dynamics, genomics, and non-genetic inheritance are crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

• To define and quantify the 'evolutionary footprint' of human drivers on biological entities.
• To develop a framework for scoring evolutionary footprints using micro- and macroevolutionary metrics.
• To foster the integration of evolutionary dynamics into biodiversity conservation.

Main Methods:

• Defined 'evolutionary footprint' as a driver's impact on evolutionary trajectories.
• Selected metrics capturing adaptive traits, genetic diversity, macroevolutionary processes, and phylogenetic patterns.
• Developed a quantitative scoring method by comparing changes against natural history baselines.

Main Results:

• Illustrated the 'evolutionary footprint' framework with case studies on plant-pollinator interactions and mammal evolution.
• Demonstrated a quantitative method for assessing human impacts on evolutionary trajectories.
• Highlighted the potential of this indicator for conservation science.

Conclusions:

• The 'evolutionary footprint' concept offers a novel way to assess and integrate evolutionary changes into conservation.
• Addresses challenges in integrating multiple timescales, predicting evolutionary changes, and accounting for non-genetic inheritance.
• Promotes an evocentric approach to biodiversity conservation by valuing evolutionary processes.