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Updated: Jun 2, 2026

Resurrection of Dormant Daphnia magna: Protocol and Applications

Resurrection of Dormant Daphnia magna: Protocol and Applications

Published on: January 19, 2018

Interplay between changing climate and species' ecology drives macroevolutionary dynamics.

Thomas H G Ezard¹, Tracy Aze, Paul N Pearson

¹Division of Biology, Silwood Park Campus, Imperial College London, Ascot, Berkshire, SL5 7PY, UK. t.ezard@surrey.ac.uk

Science (New York, N.Y.)

|April 16, 2011

Summary

Macroevolutionary dynamics are shaped by species

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Area of Science:

Paleontology
Evolutionary Biology
Climate Science

Background:

Macroevolutionary dynamics are influenced by biotic and abiotic factors.
The interplay between ecological change and climate in macroevolution is not fully understood.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate how species' ecology and climate change interact to drive macroevolutionary patterns.
To differentiate the impacts of ecological and climatic factors on speciation and extinction risks.

Main Methods:

Utilized the Cenozoic fossil record of macroperforate planktonic foraminifera.
Analyzed the relationship between species' ecology, climate change, and macroevolutionary rates (speciation and extinction).

Main Results:

Macroevolutionary dynamics are driven by the interaction between species' ecology and climate.
Speciation probability was more influenced by diversity dependence, while extinction risk was more affected by climate change.
No single species' ecology was universally optimal across different environmental conditions.

Conclusions:

The ecological structure of species assemblages fundamentally shapes macroevolutionary dynamics.
Climate change and ecological factors have distinct impacts on speciation and extinction.
Understanding species' ecological traits is crucial for predicting macroevolutionary outcomes.