Evolutionary physiology

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
operational model is the absence of an explicit recognition of the place of life history
traits.
Part of a series on
Evolutionary biology
Darwin's finches by John Gould
Processes and outcomes
Natural history
History of evolutionary theory
Fields and applications
Social implications

Evolutionary physiology is the study of the biological

sub-discipline of both physiology and evolutionary biology. Practitioners in the field come from a variety of backgrounds, including physiology, evolutionary biology, ecology, and genetics
.

Accordingly, the range of

environmental physiology, and its findings are a major concern of evolutionary medicine. One definition that has been offered is "the study of the physiological basis of fitness, namely, correlated evolution (including constraints and trade-offs) of physiological form and function associated with the environment, diet, homeostasis, energy management, longevity, and mortality and life history characteristics".[4]

History

As the name implies, evolutionary physiology is the product of what were at one time two distinct scientific disciplines. According to Garland and Carter,

mammal-like reptiles
.

This period was followed by attempts in the early 1980s to integrate

physiological ecology and comparative physiology. A 1987 volume titled New Directions in Ecological Physiology[5] had little ecology[6] but a considerable emphasis on evolutionary topics. It generated vigorous debate, and within a few years the National Science Foundation had developed a panel titled Ecological and Evolutionary Physiology
.

Shortly thereafter, selection experiments and experimental evolution became increasingly common in evolutionary physiology. Macrophysiology has emerged as a sub-discipline, in which practitioners attempt to identify large-scale patterns in physiological traits (e.g. patterns of co-variation with latitude) and their ecological implications.[7] [8] [9]

More recently, the importance of a merger of evolutionary biology and physiology has been argued from the perspective of functional analyses, epigenetics, and an extended evolutionary synthesis.[10] The growth of evolutionary physiology is also reflected in the emergence of sub-disciplines, such as evolutionary endocrinology,[11][12] which addresses such hybrid questions as "What are the most common endocrine mechanisms that respond to selection on behavior or life-history traits?"[13]

Emergent properties

As a hybrid scientific discipline, evolutionary physiology provides some unique perspectives. For example, an understanding of physiological mechanisms can help in determining whether a particular pattern of phenotypic variation or co-variation (such as an

allometric relationship) represents what could possibly exist or just what selection has allowed.[1] Similarly, a thorough knowledge of physiological mechanisms can greatly enhance understanding of possible reasons for evolutionary correlations and constraints than is possible for many of the traits typically studied by evolutionary biologists (such as morphology
).

Areas of research

Important areas of current research include:

Techniques

Funding and societies

In the United States, research in evolutionary physiology is funded mainly by the National Science Foundation. A number of scientific societies feature sections that encompass evolutionary physiology, including:

Journals that frequently publish articles about evolutionary physiology

See also

References

  1. ^
    PMID 8010752
    .
  2. doi:10.1093/icb/23.2.347
    .
  3. S2CID 16499109
    .
  4. S2CID 24536395
    .
  5. ISBN 978-0-521-34938-3
    .
  6. JSTOR 1941674
    .
  7. doi:10.1111/j.0269-8463.2004.00825.x
    .
  8. S2CID 6239591
    .
  9. doi:10.1111/1365-2435.12510
    .
  10. PMID 24882808
    .
  11. S2CID 33272127
    .
  12. PMID 27252188
    .
  13. PMID 27252193
    .
  14. doi:10.1146/annurev.ecolsys.22.1.193. Archived from the original
    (PDF) on 2012-02-16. Retrieved 2013-05-07.
  15. PMID 23798305. {{cite book}}: |journal= ignored (help
    )
  16. doi:10.1093/icb/39.2.346
    .
  17. ISSN 0003-1569. Archived from the original
    (PDF) on 2011-06-09. Retrieved 2009-01-22.
  18. S2CID 14871059
    .

External links
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Evolutionary_physiology&oldid=1215121844"