Rapid adaptation in a fast‐changing world: Emerging insights from insect genomics

Global Change Biology, Journal Year: 2022, Volume and Issue: 29(4), P. 943 - 954

Published: Nov. 5, 2022

Many researchers have questioned the ability of biota to adapt rapid anthropogenic environmental shifts. Here, we synthesize emerging genomic evidence for insect evolution in response human pressure. These new data reveal diverse mechanisms (single locus, polygenic, structural shifts; introgression) underpinning adaptive responses a variety selective pressures. While effects some impacts (e.g. pollution; pesticides) been previously documented, here highlight startling evolutionary additional processes such as deforestation. recent findings indicate that assemblages can indeed respond dynamically major challenges. Our synthesis also emphasizes critical roles architecture, standing variation and gene flow maintaining future potential. Broadly, it is clear approaches are essential predicting, monitoring responding ongoing biodiversity shifts fast-changing world.

Language: Английский

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Do freshwater insect assemblages in exotic plantations resemble those from native forest? Evidence from environmental DNA

Restoration Ecology, Journal Year: 2025, Volume and Issue: unknown

Published: May 21, 2025

Widespread deforestation has impacted biodiversity patterns globally, but the potential for forest plantations to restore remains unclear. Here we used environmental DNA (eDNA) analysis compare freshwater insect assemblages between native and exotic forests in New Zealand, a region that experienced heavy over recent centuries. Our of mayfly, stonefly, caddisfly (Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera, Trichoptera [EPT]) eDNA from 15 plantation streams southern Zealand yielded 85 taxa, most which were shared across these habitat types. Assemblages structured primarily by rather than type. Although taxonomic diversity EPT was lower relative forest, highly similar those streams. These findings suggest can broadly previously deforested aquatic communities resemble forest.

Language: Английский

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How to behave when marooned: the behavioural component of the island syndrome remains underexplored

Biology Letters, Journal Year: 2022, Volume and Issue: 18(4)

Published: April 1, 2022

Animals on islands typically depart from their mainland relatives in assorted aspects of biology. Because they seem to occur concert, and some extent evolve convergently disparate taxa, these changes are referred as the ‘island syndrome’. While morphological, physiological life-history components island syndrome have received considerable attention, much less is known about how insularity affects behaviour. In this paper, we argue why personality traits cognitive abilities can be expected form part syndrome. We provide an overview studies that compared between populations, or among islands. Overall, pickings remarkably slim. There evidence animals tend bolder than mainland, but effects other go either way. The for style highly circumstantial very mixed. Finally, consider ecological drivers may induce such changes, mechanisms through which might occur. conclude our knowledge behavioural responses environments remains limited, encourage biologists make more use ‘natural laboratories evolution’.

Language: Английский

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Anthropogenic evolution in an insect wing polymorphism following widespread deforestation

Biology Letters, Journal Year: 2021, Volume and Issue: 17(8), P. 20210069 - 20210069

Published: Aug. 1, 2021

Anthropogenic environmental change can underpin major shifts in natural selective regimes, and thus alter the evolutionary trajectories of wild populations. However, little is known about impacts deforestation—one most pervasive human-driven changes to terrestrial ecosystems globally. Absence forest cover (i.e. exposure) has been suggested play a role selecting for insect flightlessness montane ecosystems. Here, we capitalize on variation alpine treeline elevation New Zealand test whether anthropogenic deforestation caused distributions flight-capable flightless phenotypes wing-polymorphic lineage stoneflies from Zelandoperla fenestrata species complex. Transect sampling revealed sharp transitions populations with increasing elevation. these phenotypic were consistently delineated by local treelines, rather than absolute elevation, providing novel example evolution response recent deforestation. The inferred rapid newly deforested regions have implications conservation invertebrate biodiversity.

Language: Английский

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Insect Flight: State of the Field and Future Directions

Integrative and Comparative Biology, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: 64(2), P. 533 - 555

Published: July 8, 2024

The evolution of flight in an early winged insect ancestral lineage is recognized as a key adaptation explaining the unparalleled success and diversification insects. Subsequent transitions modifications to machinery, including secondary reductions losses, also play central role shaping impacts insects on broadscale geographic ecological processes patterns present future. Given importance flight, there has been centuries-long history research debate evolutionary origins biological mechanisms flight. Here, we revisit this from interdisciplinary perspective, discussing recent discoveries regarding developmental origins, physiology, biomechanics, neurobiology sensory control diverse set models. We identify major outstanding questions yet be addressed provide recommendations for overcoming current methodological challenges faced when studying which will allow field continue move forward new exciting directions. By integrating mechanistic work into contexts, hope that synthesis promotes stimulates efforts necessary close many existing gaps about causes consequences evolution.

Language: Английский

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Human-driven evolution of color in a stonefly mimic

Science, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: 386(6720), P. 453 - 458

Published: Oct. 24, 2024

Rapid adaptation is thought to be critical for the survival of species under global change, but our understanding human-induced evolution in wild remains limited. We show that widespread deforestation has underpinned repeated color shifts insect populations. Specifically, loss forest led changes across lineages mimic warning coloration a toxic stonefly. Predation experiments suggest relative fitness phenotypes varies between forested and deforested habitats. Genomic analyses 1200 specimens selection at

Language: Английский

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Exceptional endemicity of Aotearoa New Zealand biota shows how taxa dispersal traits, but not phylogeny, correlate with global species richness

Journal of the Royal Society of New Zealand, Journal Year: 2023, Volume and Issue: 54(1), P. 144 - 159

Published: April 20, 2023

Species' with more limited dispersal and consequently less gene flow are likely to form new spatially segregated species thus contribute disproportionally endemic biota global richness. Aotearoa New Zealand has exceptional endemicity, 52% of its 54,000 named endemic, including 32%, 39% 68% for freshwater, marine terrestrial environments respectively. The lower endemicity freshwater (excluding insects) is attributed their need disperse between habitats that temporary on evolutionary timescales. percent higher taxa (Order Kingdom), a measure phylogenetic relationships, was not correlated regional However, there positive correlation richness across trait groups based environment, typical body size, mobility (including flight), if marine, whether pelagic or benthic. Typically flighted had high contrary the dispersal-endemicity hypothesis, but reflecting isolation by distance time, reduced flight ability as occurs islands. It proposed mobile macrofauna caused combination niche specialisation opportunities predation limiting Thus, traits better predicted than phylogeny.

Language: Английский

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How Might Climate Change Affect Adaptive Responses of Polar Arthropods?

Diversity, Journal Year: 2022, Volume and Issue: 15(1), P. 47 - 47

Published: Dec. 30, 2022

Climate change is expected to impact the global distribution and diversity of arthropods, with warmer temperatures forcing species relocate, acclimate, adapt, or go extinct. The Arctic Antarctic regions are extremely sensitive climate have displayed profound variable changes over recent decades, including decreases in sea ice extent, greening tundra, hydrological biogeochemical cycles. It unclear how polar-adapted arthropods will respond such changes, though many be at great risk extinction. Here, we review adaptive mechanisms that allow polar persist extreme environments discuss effects poles likely favour non-native those ability rapidly evolve and/or acclimate. We find physiological, behavioural, plastic, genetic data limited scope for research on responses scarce. This restricts our predict they may a warming climate. call greater investment specifically targets ecology evolution these taxa, genomic transcriptomic approaches can evaluate potential plastic evolved environmental responses.

Language: Английский

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Freshwater eDNA reveals dramatic biological shifts linked to deforestation of New Zealand

The Science of The Total Environment, Journal Year: 2023, Volume and Issue: 908, P. 168174 - 168174

Published: Nov. 3, 2023

Deforestation is considered a major threat to biodiversity across many parts of the globe, but biological impacts this dramatic ecosystem disturbance often remain incompletely understood. In New Zealand – world's last landmass be colonised by humans widespread deforestation over recent centuries has left highly fragmented suite relict forest stands, ideal for assessing anthropogenic change. We hypothesise that environmental underpinned repeated and predictable ecological shifts distinct rivers regions. Here we use freshwater DNA (eDNA) data (113 samples 38 locations; 89 insect taxa) test concordant linked deforestation. eDNA analyses highlight consistent compositional functional differentiation between forested versus deforested assemblages, including turnover 'cryptic' congeneric taxa are morphologically similar yet ecologically genetically distinct. These evident even fine spatial scales within streams, emphasising emergence novel 'deforested' assemblage. Our results illustrate change can drive broad geographic regions, power large scales.

Language: Английский

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Reduced olfactory acuity in recently flightless insects suggests rapid regressive evolution

BMC Ecology and Evolution, Journal Year: 2022, Volume and Issue: 22(1)

Published: April 16, 2022

Abstract Background Insects have exceptionally fast smelling capabilities, and some can track the temporal structure of odour plumes at rates above 100 Hz. It has been hypothesized that this capability is an adaptation for flying. We test hypothesis by comparing olfactory acuity sympatric flighted versus flightless lineages within a wing-polymorphic stonefly species. Results Our analyses receptor neuron responses reveal recently-evolved reduced acuity. By ecotypes with similar genetic backgrounds, we eliminate other confounding factors might affected evolution their reception mechanisms. detection different patterns response strength speed in independently wing-reduced suggests parallel Conclusions These reductions echo rapid reduction wings themselves, represent to convergent phenotypic shifts seen under selective gradients sensory systems (e.g. loss vision cave fauna). study provides evidence flight poses pressure on emphasizes energetic costs olfaction.

Language: Английский

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