Abstract
Over the past fifteen years, the number of papers focused on “eco-evo
dynamics” has increased exponentially (Figure 1). This pattern suggests
the rapid growth of a new, integrative discipline. We argue that this
overstates the case. First, the terms “eco-evo dynamics” and “eco-evo
interactions” are used too imprecisely. As a result, many studies that
claim to describe eco-evo dynamics are actually describing basic
ecological or evolutionary processes. Second, these terms are often used
as if the study of how ecological and evolutionary processes are
intertwined is novel when, in fact, it is not. The result is confusion
over what the term “eco-evolution” and its derivatives describe, a
loss of appreciation for the history of genuine eco-evolutionary
studies, and a loss of appreciation for the novelty associated with the
original rise of the term. We advocate a more precise definition of
eco-evolution that is more useful in our effort to understand and
characterize the diversity of ecological and evolutionary processes and
that focuses attention on the subset of those processes that offer novel
results.