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Effects of Extreme Climatic Events on Evolutionary Processes.

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Extreme climatic events (ECEs) driven by climate change threaten biodiversity. These events hinder rapid adaptation and evolutionary rescue due to ecological and genetic challenges, with impacts on evolution poorly understood.

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Area of Science:

  • Ecology
  • Evolutionary Biology
  • Climate Change Science

Background:

  • Climate change impacts biodiversity, with gradual warming effects well-documented.
  • The influence of extreme climatic events (ECEs) on evolutionary processes remains less understood.
  • ECEs pose unique challenges to evolutionary trajectories compared to gradual climate shifts.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the current knowledge on the impact of ECEs on evolutionary processes.
  • To explore how ECEs influence the drivers of evolution: mutation, selection, gene flow, and genetic drift.
  • To identify knowledge gaps and propose future research directions.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review synthesizing existing research on ECEs and evolution.
  • Discussion of theoretical impacts of ECEs on evolutionary mechanisms.
  • Analysis of ecological interactions and community-level consequences.

Main Results:

  • ECEs can disrupt evolutionary drivers, potentially hindering adaptation and evolutionary rescue.
  • The unpredictable nature of ECEs complicates species' responses.
  • Understanding ECE impacts requires considering shifts in ecological interactions and community dynamics.
  • Significant knowledge gaps exist regarding the genetic-level impacts of ECEs.

Conclusions:

  • ECEs are a significant threat to biodiversity, impacting evolution through various pathways.
  • Rapid adaptation and evolutionary rescue are constrained by ecological and genetic factors in the face of ECEs.
  • Urgent, hypothesis-driven monitoring and research are needed to understand ECEs' evolutionary consequences.