Meaning of evolutionary trap | Babel Free

Definitions

1. 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.
2. The situation of a rapid ecological change triggering decisions about choice of habitat that are detrimental for an individual; an ecological trap.

Examples

“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.”

“Evolutionary traps can threaten populations and species if they result in widespread reductions in survival and reproduction.”

“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.”

CEFR level