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A Drosophila laboratory evolution experiment points to low evolutionary potential under increased temperatures likely to be experienced in the future.

Schou, M F LU ; Kristensen, T N ; Kellermann, V ; Schlötterer, C and Loeschcke, V (2014) In Journal of evolutionary biology 27. p.1859-1868
Abstract
The ability to respond evolutionarily to increasing temperatures is important for survival of ectotherms in a changing climate. Recent studies suggest that upper thermal limits may be evolutionary constrained. We address this hypothesis in a laboratory evolution experiment, encompassing ecologically relevant thermal regimes. To examine the potential for species to respond to climate change, we exposed replicate populations of Drosophila melanogaster to increasing temperatures (0.3 °C every generation) for 20 generations, whereas corresponding replicate control populations were held at benign thermal conditions throughout the experiment. We hypothesized that replicate populations exposed to increasing temperatures would show increased... (More)
The ability to respond evolutionarily to increasing temperatures is important for survival of ectotherms in a changing climate. Recent studies suggest that upper thermal limits may be evolutionary constrained. We address this hypothesis in a laboratory evolution experiment, encompassing ecologically relevant thermal regimes. To examine the potential for species to respond to climate change, we exposed replicate populations of Drosophila melanogaster to increasing temperatures (0.3 °C every generation) for 20 generations, whereas corresponding replicate control populations were held at benign thermal conditions throughout the experiment. We hypothesized that replicate populations exposed to increasing temperatures would show increased resistance to warm and dry environments compared with replicate control populations. Contrasting replicate populations held at the two thermal regimes showed (i) an increase in desiccation resistance and a decline in heat knock-down resistance in replicate populations exposed to increasing temperatures, (ii) similar egg-to-adult viability and fecundity in replicate populations from the two thermal regimes, when assessed at high stressful temperatures and (iii) no difference in nucleotide diversity between thermal regimes. The limited scope for adaptive evolutionary responses shown in this study highlights the challenges faced by ectotherms under climate change. (Less)
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author
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publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
climate change, desiccation resistance, evolutionary constraints, experimental evolution, heat resistance, nucleotide diversity
in
Journal of evolutionary biology
volume
27
pages
10 pages
publisher
John Wiley & Sons Inc.
external identifiers
  • scopus:84906794477
ISSN
1420-9101
DOI
10.1111/jeb.12436
language
English
LU publication?
no
id
9ba7d2d4-9aed-4afe-a5e6-90e13b53ce2c
date added to LUP
2017-12-18 09:43:22
date last changed
2022-03-02 02:26:34
@article{9ba7d2d4-9aed-4afe-a5e6-90e13b53ce2c,
  abstract     = {{The ability to respond evolutionarily to increasing temperatures is important for survival of ectotherms in a changing climate. Recent studies suggest that upper thermal limits may be evolutionary constrained. We address this hypothesis in a laboratory evolution experiment, encompassing ecologically relevant thermal regimes. To examine the potential for species to respond to climate change, we exposed replicate populations of Drosophila melanogaster to increasing temperatures (0.3 °C every generation) for 20 generations, whereas corresponding replicate control populations were held at benign thermal conditions throughout the experiment. We hypothesized that replicate populations exposed to increasing temperatures would show increased resistance to warm and dry environments compared with replicate control populations. Contrasting replicate populations held at the two thermal regimes showed (i) an increase in desiccation resistance and a decline in heat knock-down resistance in replicate populations exposed to increasing temperatures, (ii) similar egg-to-adult viability and fecundity in replicate populations from the two thermal regimes, when assessed at high stressful temperatures and (iii) no difference in nucleotide diversity between thermal regimes. The limited scope for adaptive evolutionary responses shown in this study highlights the challenges faced by ectotherms under climate change.}},
  author       = {{Schou, M F and Kristensen, T N and Kellermann, V and Schlötterer, C and Loeschcke, V}},
  issn         = {{1420-9101}},
  keywords     = {{climate change; desiccation resistance; evolutionary constraints; experimental evolution; heat resistance; nucleotide diversity}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{06}},
  pages        = {{1859--1868}},
  publisher    = {{John Wiley & Sons Inc.}},
  series       = {{Journal of evolutionary biology}},
  title        = {{A Drosophila laboratory evolution experiment points to low evolutionary potential under increased temperatures likely to be experienced in the future.}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/jeb.12436}},
  doi          = {{10.1111/jeb.12436}},
  volume       = {{27}},
  year         = {{2014}},
}