Experimental evolution as an ecological tool

The causes and consequences of eco-evolutionary feedbacks are necessarily contextual and entangled. Ecological interactions can be historically contingent on prior conditions, albeit in ways that can be challenging to interpret. We use experimental evolution to investigate the tendency for ecological convergence, and divergence, in simple experimental systems. We have often observed surprisingly strong convergence, involving the repeated evolution of ecological interactions. Even so, subtle differences frequently evolve that alter interpretations of convergence and divergence, providing insight on the contextual importance of eco-evolutionary feedbacks.