The stasis that wasn't: Adaptive body mass evolution is opposite to phenotypic selection in a wild rodent population

摘要: Despite being heritable and under selection, traits often do not appear to evolve as predicted by evolutionary theory. Indeed, conclusive evidence for contemporary adaptive evolution remains elusive in wild vertebrate populations, stasis seems be the norm. This so-called paradox highlights our inability when it comes predicting change. is especially concerning context of rapid anthropogenic environmental changes, its underlying causes are therefore hotly debated. Applying a quantitative genetic framework data from long-term monitoring rodent population, we here show that an illusion. population has evolved become lighter, this change response related climate. Importantly however, both selective pressures driving apparent on phenotypic level. We thereby demonstrate natural populations can novel pressures, but these may easily go undetected match estimates selection. Hence, likely less common than appears.