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Keeping pace with fast climate change: can arctic life count on evolution?
Dominique Berteaux1, Denis Réale, Andrew G McAdam
1Canada Research Chair in Conservation of Northern Ecosystems, Université du Québec à Rimouski, 300 allée des Ursulines, Rimouski, Québec G5L 3A1, Canada.
Integrative and Comparative Biology
|June 18, 2011
Summary
Arctic plant and animal populations face rapid climate change. Evolution by natural selection can occur rapidly, within decades, helping some species adapt to these environmental shifts.
Area of Science:
- Ecology
- Evolutionary Biology
- Climate Change Science
Background:
- Arctic ecosystems are adapted to cold climates and short growing seasons.
- Arctic regions are experiencing unprecedented rates of climate warming.
- The capacity of Arctic flora and fauna to adapt to rapid environmental change is uncertain.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore the role of evolution by natural selection in the response of Arctic populations to climate change.
- To investigate the potential for rapid evolutionary adaptation in response to contemporary climate change.
- To provide insights for biologists on the significance of evolution in ecological responses to climate change.
Main Methods:
- Focus on spring phenology as a key indicator of climate change response.
- Analysis of quantitative genetic parameters to demonstrate contemporary evolution.
- Case study: reproductive phenological change in North American red squirrels in the Yukon.
Main Results:
- Evolutionary adaptation can occur rapidly, within a few decades.
- Contemporary evolution is a demonstrated phenomenon in response to climate change.
- Species vary in their capacity to adapt through contemporary evolution.
Conclusions:
- Evolution by natural selection is a relevant factor in contemporary climate change responses.
- Rapid adaptation is possible for some populations facing environmental shifts.
- The ability of species to evolve in response to climate change is not uniform across the Arctic.
Related Concept Videos
02:55The Evidence for Evolution
Genetic variations accumulating within populations over generations give rise to biological evolution. Evolutionary changes can result in the formation of novel varieties and entire new species. These changes are responsible for the diverse forms of life inhabiting the planet. The evidence for evolution suggests that all living organisms descended from common ancestors.
02:35What is Evolutionary History?
Scientists record evolutionary history by analyzing fossil, morphological, and genetic data. The fossil record documents the history of life on Earth and provides evidence for evolution. However, both fossil and living organisms offer evidence that outlines Earth’s evolutionary history.
01:50Global Climate Change
Throughout its ~4.5 billion year history, the Earth has experienced periods of warming and cooling. However, the current drastic increase in global temperatures is well outside of the Earth’s cyclic norms, and evidence for human-caused global climate change is compelling. Paleoclimatology, the study of ancient climate conditions, provides ample evidence for human-caused global climate change by comparing recent conditions with those in the past.
01:07Speciation Rates
Overview
02:05Gene Evolution - Fast or Slow?
The genomes of eukaryotes are punctuated by long stretches of sequence which do not code for proteins or RNAs. Although some of these regions do contain crucial regulatory sequences, the vast majority of this DNA serves no known function. Typically, these regions of the genome are the ones in which the fastest change, in evolutionary terms, is observed, because there is typically little to no selection pressure acting on these regions to preserve their sequences.
In contrast, regions which code...
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02:05Gene Evolution - Fast or Slow?
The genomes of eukaryotes are punctuated by long stretches of sequence which do not code for proteins or RNAs. Although some of these regions do contain crucial regulatory sequences, the vast majority of this DNA serves no known function. Typically, these regions of the genome are the ones in which the fastest change, in evolutionary terms, is observed, because there is typically little to no selection pressure acting on these regions to preserve their sequences.
In contrast, regions which code...
In contrast, regions which code...