Eco-evolutionary dynamics in a contemporary human population

Fanie Pelletier (), Gabriel Pigeon, Patrick Bergeron, Francine M. Mayer, Mireille Boisvert, Denis Réale and Emmanuel Milot ()
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Fanie Pelletier: Université de Sherbrooke
Gabriel Pigeon: Université de Sherbrooke
Patrick Bergeron: Université de Sherbrooke
Francine M. Mayer: Université du Québec à Montréal
Mireille Boisvert: Université du Québec à Montréal
Denis Réale: Université du Québec à Montréal
Emmanuel Milot: biochimie et physique and Forensics Research Group, Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières

Nature Communications, 2017, vol. 8, issue 1, 1-5

Abstract: Abstract Recent studies of the joint dynamics of ecological and evolutionary processes show that changes in genotype or phenotype distributions can affect population, community and ecosystem processes. Such eco-evolutionary dynamics are likely to occur in modern humans and may influence population dynamics. Here, we study contributions to population growth from detailed genealogical records of a contemporary human population. We show that evolutionary changes in women’s age at first reproduction can affect population growth: 15.9% of variation in individual contribution to population growth over 108 years is explained by mean age at first reproduction and at least one-third of this variation (6.1%) is attributed to the genetic basis of this trait, which showed an evolutionary response to selection during the period studied. Our study suggests that eco-evolutionary processes have modulated the growth of contemporary human populations.

Date: 2017
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:nat:natcom:v:8:y:2017:i:1:d:10.1038_ncomms15947

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DOI: 10.1038/ncomms15947

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