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Title: Reshaping the Tree of Life: ecological implications of evolution in the Anthropocene

Novel in their scope and intensity, human‐mediated changes in genetic diversity through directed gene transfer technologies and longer standing human‐driven selective pressures, such as land‐use change, species introductions, mass extinctions, and broad application of antibiotics, are combining to reorganize mechanisms of evolution. The evolutionary consequences of anthropogenic change can be observed across levels of biological organization and are influencing the rate of micro‐ and macroevolutionary changes, as well as feedback among them. This may have large‐scale effects on the provisioning of ecosystem services, food security, and human health. Here, we summarize several of the ecological implications of human modification of evolutionary dynamics, focusing specifically on emerging molecular technologies, to highlight some of the challenges in predicting subsequent changes in the world’s ecosystems.

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Award ID(s):
1941555
PAR ID:
10307805
Author(s) / Creator(s):
 ;  ;  ;  ;  
Publisher / Repository:
Wiley Blackwell (John Wiley & Sons)
Date Published:
Journal Name:
Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment
Volume:
20
Issue:
2
ISSN:
1540-9295
Page Range / eLocation ID:
p. 111-116
Format(s):
Medium: X
Sponsoring Org:
National Science Foundation
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