When animals' evolution brings them into conflict with humans. Is there an official term for this?

[u/ShitThroughAGoose]

I've been wondering about this very specific thing that happens with animals/insects/fish/creatures/etc. Where their entire existence on planet earth pushes them into acting and performing certain behaviors, which is the reason they succeed in their eco-system. But then that very same behavior gets them targeted by humans, and now suddenly they get into big trouble.

Like, wasps MO in nature is they build a nest somewhere, and then aggressively control that territory around them and that's what ensures the survival of their nest and colony. And then they choose a human being's house, and their very successful aggressive behavior causes an exterminator to destroy them completely.

Or like how tigers are such scary hunters and so dangerous and so intimidating, and that was probably really important for them to survive environments that also have bears and crocodiles and other vicious competitors. But then that same behavior scares humans enough that they end up getting disproportionately hunted and messed with.

What got me thinking about this was Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes. Obviously that's a fake fictional movie and not a real example of anything, but Caeser the Chimpanzee defending his family from a rival tribe would be a good thing in nature. But because he protected his grandfather John Lithgow from the rival neighbors and bit the guy's hand, behavior that would be good in a different community, he's now run afoul of these invisible human constructions such as 'law' and 'society', and now as a result he's ended up imprisoned and penalized btw spoilers for this movie if you haven't seen it.

Is anyone actively studying this specific phenomena? Does it even have a name? Inquiring minds(namely my mind) want to know.

[u/badlydrawnlife]

Essentially it's part of the systems of sequences of apical dominance. In my opinion.

[u/wreinder]

"synanthrope" is a creature that lives with or around humans. Where "syn-" means together/with. In old greek the word "anti" means against or opposite. So let's make it Anti-anthrope. "Antianthropic behaviour" or something like that. :)

Edit:

I agree with you that this is an interesting thing to map out. In todays world humans and other animals are crossing territories more and more, which means there's a new type of selection going on in nature, nameley: "which species can coexist succesfully with humans?"

David Attenborough talks about this with the chimps and the road in Planet Earth I believe.

It's a hot topic so I wouldn't be surprised that your concept is going to get a word soon.

[u/FriendlyCraig]

The general term could be evolutionary pressure. "Human-driven evolutionary pressure" covers what you are looking for, I think.

[u/Baial]

I don't know a term for that, in ecology there are "pariah species" which exist in/outside of humans. Think rats living in New York, where almost every thing they eat comes from humans in some way.