Key innovations and the ecology of macroevolution

• Published in: Trends in ecology & evolution (Amsterdam) Vol. 13; no. 1; pp. 31 - 36
• Main Author: Hunter, John P
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Elsevier Ltd 1998; Elsevier
• Subjects: adaptive radiation; adaptive zones; Biological and medical sciences; Biological evolution; diversity; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Genetics of eukaryotes. Biological and molecular evolution; key innovations; macroevolution; specialization; structural decoupling; trade-offs; diversity; structural decoupling; trade-offs; key innovations; adaptive radiation; adaptive zones; macroevolution; specialization; Innovation; Genetic variability; Proliferation; Diversification; Biological evolution
• ISSN: 0169-5347; 1872-8383
• DOI: 10.1016/S0169-5347(97)01273-1

The origin or evolutionary `success' of taxa is often attributed to key innovations—aspects of organismal phenotype that promote diversification. Different ways of delimiting taxa and measuring `success' (i.e. number or longevity of species, morphological variety or differential control of energy) give rise to different ideas of how key innovations might operate. Key innovations may enhance competitive ability, relax adaptive trade-offs or permit exploitation of a new productive resource base. Recent key innovation studies comparing species richness in extant sister clades may miss important observations possible only with consideration of the fossil record, traditional higher taxa and phenotypic diversity.