| Presentation Detail
Selection, Natural Logan, Michael L [1], Cox, Robert M [2], Calsbeek, Ryan G [1]. Natural selection on the thermal performance curve of Anolis sagrei. The earth is warming at an unprecedented rate, and this may negatively impact the population dynamics of many species. Nevertheless, it is possible that organisms could mitigate the effects of warming through evolutionary change in their thermal sensitivity. However, the extent to which populations can adapt to increasing temperatures on short time scales is largely unknown. We measured natural selection on the thermal performance curves of two populations of the lizard Anolis sagrei in The Bahamas. We quantified directional, quadratic, and correlational selection gradients for maximal performance, the optimal temperature for performance, and performance breadth on a Ă¢€˜baselineĂ¢€™ population of A. sagrei from the island of Great Exuma, and on a population from the island of Eleuthera that we transplanted from a cool to a warm site. In the baseline population, we found negative correlative selection on maximal performance and performance breadth, while low survival likely prevented us from detecting selection in the experimental population. In both populations, maximal performance was negatively correlated with performance breadth, suggesting that a specialist-generalist trade-off mediates the evolution of those traits. Although data on the underlying genetic architecture and heritability of thermal performance curves is needed, our results suggest that some populations may have the capacity to evolve rapidly in response to anthropogenic warming.
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1 - Dartmouth College, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, 78 College St., Hanover, NH, 03755, United States
2 - University of Virginia, Biology, Charlottesville, VA, 22904, USA
Keywords:
Anolis
Natural selection
Adaptation
Climate Change
thermoregulation
thermal performance curve
thermal adaptation.
Presentation Type: Regular Oral Presentation
Session: 55
Location: Rendezvous A/Snowbird Center
Date: Sunday, June 23rd, 2013
Time: 9:00 AM
Number: 55003
Abstract ID:152
Candidate for Awards:W.D. Hamilton Award for Outstanding Student Presentation |
