Evolutionary rebound from selective harvesting

Size-selective harvesting favours reduced investment in growth and earlier age at reproduction. A recent study by Edeline and colleagues has shown that trait dynamics of Lake Windermere pike reflect the interplay of 50 years of harvest and natural selection. Growth and investment in early reproduction decreased under harvesting, and then recovered when fishing pressures declined. This is the first study to use contrasting temporal patterns of natural and harvest selection pressures to account for observed trait changes.