Journal article

Male fertility thermal limits predict vulnerability to climate warming

Belinda van Heerwaarden, Carla M Sgro

NATURE COMMUNICATIONS | NATURE PORTFOLIO | Published : 2021

Abstract

Forecasting which species/ecosystems are most vulnerable to climate warming is essential to guide conservation strategies to minimize extinction. Tropical/mid-latitude species are predicted to be most at risk as they live close to their upper critical thermal limits (CTLs). However, these assessments assume that upper CTL estimates, such as CTmax, are accurate predictors of vulnerability and ignore the potential for evolution to ameliorate temperature increases. Here, we use experimental evolution to assess extinction risk and adaptation in tropical and widespread Drosophila species. We find tropical species succumb to extinction before widespread species. Male fertility thermal limits, whic..

View full abstract

University of Melbourne Researchers

Grants

Awarded by Australian Research Council


Funding Acknowledgements

We are grateful to Tamblyn Coadie, Taylor Graham, Vanessa Kellermann, Fiona Cockerall, Winston Ye, Clementine Lasne, Avi Chakraborty, Brooke Zanco and Teresa Kutz for technical support and Jon Bridle and Eleanor O'Brien for field flies. We thank the Australian Research Council for funding B. V. H. and C. M. S. via their fellowship and discovery schemes (DE150100507, DP180103725) and Monash University for their support via their Women in Science and Advancing Diversity schemes.