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Evolutionary Ecology and Ethnobiology

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Evolutionary Ethnobiology

Abstract

Evolutionary ethnobiology studies the evolutionary processes derived from interactions between humans and biotic elements (mainly plants, animals, fungi, and some micro-organisms) that form part of the ecosystems the manage. Such interactions may have evolutionary consequences on: (1) the organisms interacting with humans, (2) the humans themselves, their culture and societies, and (3) the managed ecosystems and landscapes. This perspective indicates that questions of evolutionary ethnobiology are eminently social-ecological complex problems, and their understanding therefore require interdisciplinary research approaches combining perspectives from a broad spectrum of social and ecological disciplines. We summarise in this chapter conceptual and methodological approaches for analysing the interactions between humans and plants and animals, their domestication and forms to evaluate their morphological, physiological, and genetic consequences. In addition, we analyse the repercussion of domestication on settled life and the arising of civilisation, and their current influence on social organisation and culture. Finally, we analyse the process of modelling of landscapes that predominate on most of the surface of the Earth, particularly those intentional forms that conform what we call landscape domestication. We conclude that evolution on each of these dimensions influence the others and, therefore, the integrated view is necessary for a holistic comprehension of evolutionary processes influenced by humans. In addition, we conclude that the theoretical construction in this field may substantially help in designing sustainable management strategies. Concepts and methods referred to are those adopted and constructed by our own research group for analysing main problems in relation to the main aspects mentioned of evolutionary ethnobiology.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Instituto de Investigaciones en Ecosistemas y Sustentabilidad (IIES), Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Campus Morelia, Antigua Carretera a Pátzcuaro 8711, Col. San José de la Huerta, Morelia, Michoacán, 58190, Mexico

    Alejandro Casas, Selene Rangel & Carmen J. Figueredo

  2. Centro de Investigaciones en Zonas Áridas (CIZA), Universidad Nacional Agraria La Molina, Camilo Carrillo 300-A, Lima, 11, Peru

    Fabiola Parra

  3. Estación Científica La Malinche, Universidad Autónoma de Tlaxcala, La Loma Xicohtencatl, Tlaxcala de Xicohténcatl, Tlaxcala, 90070, Mexico

    Susana Guillén

  4. Centro de Investigación en Biodiversidad y Conservación (CIByC), Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Morelos, Av. Universidad No. 1001, Col. Chamilpa, Cuernavaca, Morelos, 62209, Mexico

    José Blancas

Authors
  1. Alejandro Casas
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  2. Fabiola Parra
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  3. Selene Rangel
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  4. Susana Guillén
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  5. José Blancas
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  6. Carmen J. Figueredo
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Alejandro Casas .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Departamento de Biologia, Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco, Recife, Brazil

    Ulysses Paulino Albuquerque

  2. Institute of Environmental Sciences and Sustainable Development, Universidade Federal do Oeste da Bahia, Barreiras, Pernambuco, Brazil

    Patrícia Muniz De Medeiros

  3. Instituto de Investigaciones en Ecosistemas y Sustentabiilidad, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Morelia, Michoacán, Mexico

    Alejandro Casas

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Casas, A., Parra, F., Rangel, S., Guillén, S., Blancas, J., Figueredo, C.J. (2015). Evolutionary Ecology and Ethnobiology. In: Albuquerque, U., De Medeiros, P., Casas, A. (eds) Evolutionary Ethnobiology. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-19917-7_4

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