Evolutionary Ecology in the 21st Century: New Concepts and Development Prospects

Abstract

The ideas of the evolutionary ecology of the 20th century and its modern conceptual space are considered with regard to new knowledge of the contents of population and evolutionary synecology. The article proposes (1) a population cenotic approach to analyzing the covariation of cenopopulations of sympatric species and taxocenes in space and historical time; (2) an approach to assessing the intragroup morphological disparity in cenopopulations of sympatric species and taxocenes as a measure of morphogenetic stability. Consideration is given to experimental evolutionary ecology as a particular methodological area. Prospects for the formation of evolutionary ecology as an interdisciplinary applied science are discussed in view of the necessity of predicting regional biocenotic crises and rapid coevolutionary changes in biotic communities in a technogenic environment against the background of predicted unfavorable trends of climate changes.