evolutionary trap

English

Noun

evolutionary trap (plural evolutionary traps)

  1. (biology, evolutionary theory) The situation of an evolved behaviour or trait of a species becoming detrimental to the survival or reproductive ability of individuals, possibly leading to extinction.
    • 2004, Francisco Pulido, Peter Berthold, Microevolutionary Response to Climate Change, Anders P. Møller, W. Fielder, P. Berthold (editors), Advances in Ecological Research, Volume 35: Birds and Climate Change, page 152,
      Antagonistic genetic correlations and maladaptive phenotypic responses (evolutionary traps) are probably the most important constrain[t]s to microevolutionary change.
    • 2010, Martin A. Schlaepfer, Paul W. Sherman, Michael C. Runge, “29: Decision Making, Environmental Change, and Population Persistence”, in David Westneat, Charles W. Fox, editors, Evolutionary Behavioral Ecology, page 507:
      Evolutionary traps can threaten populations and species if they result in widespread reductions in survival and reproduction.
    • 2010, Jane Brox, Brilliant: The Evolution of Artificial Light‎, page 279:
      Sometimes artificial light becomes an evolutionary trap as the age-old biological imperatives of a species, which helped it survive for eons, turn into liabilities.
  2. (ecology) The situation of a rapid ecological change triggering decisions about choice of habitat that are detrimental for an individual; an ecological trap.

Synonyms
  • (situation of ecological change triggering bad choices about habitat): ecological trap

See also
  • perceptual trap
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