An Introduction to Ecology and Evolution

Definitions Ecology The word first came into use in 1869 by Ernest Haeckel He based ecology on the Greek word oikos, meaning home or house Ecology is the study of the relationships of organisms to their environment and to one another Evolution Genetic change in a population of organisms over time

The Interaction of Ecology and Evolution Ecology and evolution are intimately related because and organism’s ecological situation directs its evolution, and the organism’s response to its ecological situation may be evolutionary Many of the evolutionary solutions to ecological problems can be viewed as adaptations, genetically determined features that become or are becoming prevalent in a population because they improves an organism’s ability to survive and reproduce in a particular environment “Nothing in biology makes sense except in the light of evolution.” (Th. Dobzhansky); this is particularly true for ecology, since our current ecological explanations of nature are predicted on the concept of evolution

Proximate and Ultimate Explanations of the Natural World Proximate explanations offer immediate causes for a particular phenomenon Ultimate explanations provide historical reasons for observed ecological phenomena Thus, the difference between them is in outlook: between thinking over a relatively recent time scale (the time scale over which individuals live and die) versus an historical time scale (geological time)

The Nature of Science Its Essence, Power, and Limitations It’s a fallible enterprise Gives only tentative results Provides us with methods by which we can arrive at justified beliefs Theories are often confirmed is by making successful predictions It has tremendous explanatory potential Hypotheses can be invalidated or gain credibility based on inference rather than observation