Climate-induced range shifts and possible hybridisation consequences in insects
Rosa Ana Sánchez-Guillén1, Jesús Muñoz, Gerardo Rodríguez-Tapia
1Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva, Instituto de Ecología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, México D.F., Mexico.
Plos One
|November 22, 2013
Summary
Rising global temperatures are shifting damselfly ranges, increasing hybridisation risks. Many species face range contraction and northern shifts, potentially leading to local extinctions due to incomplete reproductive isolation.
Area of Science:
- Ecology
- Evolutionary Biology
- Climate Change Biology
Background:
- Ectotherms are altering geographic ranges due to rising global temperatures.
- Current range shifts are predicted to increase sympatry and hybridisation between recently diverged species.
Purpose of the Study:
- To predict future sympatric distributions and hybridisation risk in seven Mediterranean ischnurid damselfly species.
- To assess the impact of climate change on species distributions and interspecific interactions.
Main Methods:
- Utilised maximum entropy modelling to predict future potential distributions under four Global Circulation Models and a realistic emissions scenario.
- Compiled comprehensive data on reproductive isolation (habitat, temporal, sexual, mechanical, gametic) between the seven species.
- Combined potential distribution data with reproductive isolation data to infer hybridisation risk.
Main Results:
- All species except I. graellsii are predicted to decrease in distributional extent.
- All species except I. senegalensis are predicted to exhibit northern range shifts.
- An increase in overlapping ranges is predicted for 12 out of 42 species combinations, with 10 currently overlapping.
Conclusions:
- Incomplete reproductive isolation and observed hybridisation patterns pose a risk to native ischnurid damselfly species.
- Hybridisation could lead to local extinctions if hybrids or introgressed colonising species become more successful.
- Climate change-induced range shifts necessitate further research into hybridisation dynamics and conservation strategies for Mediterranean damselflies.
Related Concept Videos
02:29Hybrid Zones
16.3K
Hybrid zones are narrow regions where two closely related species interact, mate, and produce hybrids. Relative to either parent species, hybrids may possess distinct phenotypic or genetic differences that impact their survival and reproductive success. The genetic variances introduced by hybridization influence species diversity and speciation processes within the hybrid zone.
16.3K
00:53Migration
8.1K
Migration is long-range, seasonal movement from one region or habitat to another. This common strategy, carried out by many different organisms around the world, is an adaptive response that typically corresponds to changes in an organism’s environment, like resource availability or climate. Migrations can involve huge groups of thousands of animals as well as single individuals traveling alone and can range from thousands of kilometers to just a few hundred meters.
8.1K
01:07Speciation Rates
18.8K
Overview
18.8K
02:16Genetics of Speciation
19.0K
Speciation is the evolutionary process resulting in the formation of new, distinct species—groups of reproductively isolated populations.
19.0K
01:09Mutation, Gene Flow, and Genetic Drift
53.1K
In a population that is not at Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium, the frequency of alleles changes over time. Therefore, any deviations from the five conditions of Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium can alter the genetic variation of a given population. Conditions that change the genetic variability of a population include mutations, natural selection, non-random mating, gene flow, and genetic drift (small population size).
53.1K
01:21Frequency-dependent Selection
20.2K
When the fitness of a trait is influenced by how common it is (i.e., its frequency) relative to different traits within a population, this is referred to as frequency-dependent selection. Frequency-dependent selection may occur between species or within a single species. This type of selection can either be positive—with more common phenotypes having higher fitness—or negative, with rarer phenotypes conferring increased fitness.
20.2K