Research summary
Over time, evolution has generated all biodiversity. Yet evolution is not over—and it will continue to shape the future of biodiversity, ecosystems and “nature’s contributions to people.” As Canada Research Chair in Eco-Evolutionary Dynamics, Dr. Andrew Hendry is studying how environmental change shapes this “rapid” evolution and how this rapid evolution then influences populations, communities, ecosystems, and nature’s contributions to people.
He and his research team are trying to answer three key questions: How is the path of evolution altered when populations are exposed to new environments? How repeatable, or predictable, is evolution in these new environments? And how important are the ecological effects of rapid evolution? To answer these questions, Hendry’s team will assess how new conditions affect the rapid evolution of the threespine stickleback fish. Ultimately, the answers they uncover will improve our understanding of how evolution continually shapes the world around us.