In a rapidly changing world, some organisms show remarkable adaptability. For example, they adjust their behavioural or physiological traits for survival or successful reproduction. We aim to understand the mechanisms behind these adaptation and survival strategies and to explore their impact on ecosystems and communities. In fact, evolution and adaptation do not always occur slowly, but can happen relatively quickly, for example in response to environmental change or pressure from new competitors. In turn, evolutionary processes also shape the ecosystems in which they occur. This close interaction is known as eco-evolutionary dynamics.
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Selected publications
Eco-Evolutionary Interactions With Multiple Evolving Species Reveal Both Antagonistic and Additive Effects
The authors investigated the ecological effects of evolution of multiple zooplankton species of their community dynamics. The study highlights that species differ in their evolution-mediated ecological effects and showcases that using the evolutionary effects on ecology of single species to predict multiple species' effects may lead to unreliable predictions.
Long-term data reveal contrasting impacts of native versus invasive nest predators in Iceland
The authors used unusual Citizen Science data from several decades to show that the American mink has decimated the native eider duck in the Brokey archipelago by about 60 %. In another Icelandic landscape, the return of the native Arctic fox had no discernible impact on the eider population - presumably due to the common evolutionary history in which the eiders have developed defence strategies.
Leveraging big data to uncover the eco-evolutionary factors shaping behavioural development
In this review, the authors provide a guide to state-of-the-art approaches that allow the collection and analysis of high-resolution behavioural data across development. They outline how such approaches can be used to address key issues regarding the ecological and evolutionary factors shaping behavioural development.
