Urbanization extends flight phenology and leads to local adaptation of seasonal plasticity in Lepidoptera
Merckx, Thomas ; Nielsen, Matthew E. ; Heliölä, Janne ; Kuussaari, Mikko ; Pettersson, Lars B. LU
; Pöyry, Juha
; Tiainen, Juha
; Gotthard, Karl
and Kivelä, Sami M.
(2021)
In Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
118(40).
- Abstract
Urbanization is gaining force globally, which challenges biodiversity, and it has recently also emerged as an agent of evolutionary change. Seasonal phenology and life cycle regulation are essential processes that urbanization is likely to alter through both the urban heat island effect (UHI) and artificial light at night (ALAN). However, how UHI and ALAN affect the evolution of seasonal adaptations has received little attention. Here, we test for the urban evolution of seasonal life-history plasticity, specifically changes in the photoperiodic induction of diapause in two lepidopterans, Pieris napi (Pieridae) and Chiasmia clathrata (Geometridae). We used long-term data from standardized monitoring and citizen science observation... (More)
Urbanization is gaining force globally, which challenges biodiversity, and it has recently also emerged as an agent of evolutionary change. Seasonal phenology and life cycle regulation are essential processes that urbanization is likely to alter through both the urban heat island effect (UHI) and artificial light at night (ALAN). However, how UHI and ALAN affect the evolution of seasonal adaptations has received little attention. Here, we test for the urban evolution of seasonal life-history plasticity, specifically changes in the photoperiodic induction of diapause in two lepidopterans, Pieris napi (Pieridae) and Chiasmia clathrata (Geometridae). We used long-term data from standardized monitoring and citizen science observation schemes to compare yearly phenological flight curves in six cities in Finland and Sweden to those of adjacent rural populations. This analysis showed for both species that flight seasons are longer and end later in most cities, suggesting a difference in the timing of diapause induction. Then, we used common garden experiments to test whether the evolution of the photoperiodic reaction norm for diapause could explain these phenological changes for a subset of these cities. These experiments demonstrated a genetic shift for both species in urban areas toward a lower daylength threshold for direct development, consistent with predictions based on the UHI but not ALAN. The correspondence of this genetic change to the results of our larger-scale observational analysis of in situ flight phenology indicates that it may be widespread. These findings suggest that seasonal life cycle regulation evolves in urban ectotherms and may contribute to ecoevolutionary dynamics in cities.
(Less)
- author
- Merckx, Thomas
; Nielsen, Matthew E.
; Heliölä, Janne
; Kuussaari, Mikko
; Pettersson, Lars B.
LU
; Pöyry, Juha
; Tiainen, Juha
; Gotthard, Karl
and Kivelä, Sami M.
- organization
- publishing date
- 2021-10
- type
- Contribution to journal
- publication status
- published
- subject
- keywords
- Artificial light at night, Diapause, Reaction norm, Urban evolution, Urban heat island effect
- in
- Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
- volume
- 118
- issue
- 40
- article number
- e2106006118
- publisher
- National Academy of Sciences
- external identifiers
-
- scopus:85115936981
- pmid:34580222
- ISSN
- 0027-8424
- DOI
- 10.1073/pnas.2106006118
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
- additional info
- Publisher Copyright: © 2021 National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.
- id
- 77da112e-91c6-4310-a17a-3f2f4f362724
- date added to LUP
- 2021-10-19 13:46:06
- date last changed
- 2024-06-15 18:23:42
@article{77da112e-91c6-4310-a17a-3f2f4f362724,
abstract = {{<p>Urbanization is gaining force globally, which challenges biodiversity, and it has recently also emerged as an agent of evolutionary change. Seasonal phenology and life cycle regulation are essential processes that urbanization is likely to alter through both the urban heat island effect (UHI) and artificial light at night (ALAN). However, how UHI and ALAN affect the evolution of seasonal adaptations has received little attention. Here, we test for the urban evolution of seasonal life-history plasticity, specifically changes in the photoperiodic induction of diapause in two lepidopterans, Pieris napi (Pieridae) and Chiasmia clathrata (Geometridae). We used long-term data from standardized monitoring and citizen science observation schemes to compare yearly phenological flight curves in six cities in Finland and Sweden to those of adjacent rural populations. This analysis showed for both species that flight seasons are longer and end later in most cities, suggesting a difference in the timing of diapause induction. Then, we used common garden experiments to test whether the evolution of the photoperiodic reaction norm for diapause could explain these phenological changes for a subset of these cities. These experiments demonstrated a genetic shift for both species in urban areas toward a lower daylength threshold for direct development, consistent with predictions based on the UHI but not ALAN. The correspondence of this genetic change to the results of our larger-scale observational analysis of in situ flight phenology indicates that it may be widespread. These findings suggest that seasonal life cycle regulation evolves in urban ectotherms and may contribute to ecoevolutionary dynamics in cities.</p>}},
author = {{Merckx, Thomas and Nielsen, Matthew E. and Heliölä, Janne and Kuussaari, Mikko and Pettersson, Lars B. and Pöyry, Juha and Tiainen, Juha and Gotthard, Karl and Kivelä, Sami M.}},
issn = {{0027-8424}},
keywords = {{Artificial light at night; Diapause; Reaction norm; Urban evolution; Urban heat island effect}},
language = {{eng}},
number = {{40}},
publisher = {{National Academy of Sciences}},
series = {{Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America}},
title = {{Urbanization extends flight phenology and leads to local adaptation of seasonal plasticity in Lepidoptera}},
url = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2106006118}},
doi = {{10.1073/pnas.2106006118}},
volume = {{118}},
year = {{2021}},
}