Enriching research in ecology and evolution through nine 'flavors' of history

In a recent article in The Quarterly Review of Biology, "Beyond Equilibria: The Neglected Role of History in Ecology and Evolution," author Hamish G. Spencer argues for a revitalized view of history. This historical view is a response to current research in the field of ecology and evolution, which is dominated by an ahistorical view of dynamic systems. In this ahistorical view, mathematical models are extensively used to describe and analyze systems at an equilibrium. Such equilibrium-focused analyses are currently privileged, because they allow researchers to generalize their models of a system: that is, these equilibrium-focused analyses enable researchers "to distill the essence of a system into principles that apply elsewhere." While the article acknowledges the value of equilibrium-focused analyses, such analyses tend to unfairly evaluate biological history as dependent on non-generalizable particularities. As a result, current research in ecology and valuate tends to avoid historical forms of analysis.

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