Evolution of thermal tolerance and phenotypic plasticity under rapid and slow temperature fluctuations.

ABSTRACT: Global warming is associated with an increase in sea surface temperature and its variability. The consequences of evolving in variable, fluctuating environments are explored by a large body of theory: when populations evolve in fluctuating environments the frequency of fluctuations determines the shapes of tolerance curves (indicative of habitats that organisms can inhabit) and trait reaction norms (the phenotypes that organisms display across these environments). Despite this well-established theoretical backbone, predicting how trait and tolerance curves will evolve in organisms at the foundation of marine ecosystems remains a challenge. Here, we used a globally distributed phytoplankton, Thalassiosira pseudonana, and show that fluctuations in temperature on scales of 3-4 generati

SUBMITTER: Schaum CE 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9346350 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature