Experimental niche evolution in seed beetles: Simulating responses to climate change in a currently evolving global crop pest
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Aberdeen
Department Name: Inst of Biological and Environmental Sci
Abstract
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Organisations
People |
ORCID iD |
| Lesley Lancaster (Primary Supervisor) |
Studentship Projects
| Project Reference | Relationship | Related To | Start | End | Student Name |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BB/M010996/1 | 30/09/2015 | 31/03/2024 | |||
| 1654640 | Studentship | BB/M010996/1 | 30/09/2015 | 29/09/2019 |
| Description | This award is still in progress. In response to climate change, many species are range shifting to take advantage of new colonisation opportunities in habitats located pole-wards of their ancestral range, where temperatures have recently warmed to surpass minimally-suitable conditions for population growth (Hoffman & Sgró, 2011). Currently we have found that adaptation to cooler and more variable temperatures as is typically seen during a range shift results in beneficial, evolved changes in both heat and cold tolerance in the ancestral environment but these improvements are reversed under different developmental and short-term acclimation scenarios resulting in patterns of maladaptive thermal tolerance plasticity which prevent the expression of the evolved benefit in the novel environment. I have been running a resource-selection experiment in the laboratory for the past 3 years using seed beetles, where beetles have a choice of settling on a new resource (new bean species) or their ancestral resource to lay their eggs (egg laying decision determines the offspring rearing environment, as larvae complete development inside beans). Because she never removes any beetles from the system (but maintains resources at a constant level), and reproduction rate is very high (individual females can lay up to 100 eggs), there should be strong competition-based selection to utilize the novel resource, even though they initially have much lower fitness on it (which we know from pilot studies). Preliminary results show that there seem to be strong asymmetrical maternal effects deterring the outcome of bean choice in the evolved lines. Essentially, for beetles emerging from the ancestral bean type, their choice of bean type is determined by what kind of bean their mother emerged from (a consequence of the grandmother's resource choice, or possibly an evolved effect of adapting to the new bean type combined with a maternal effect benefit of emerging on the old bean type- it is a bit ambiguous at the moment). However, for beetles emerging from the novel bean type, the grandmother's choice had no effect on their choice- it is entirely a maternal effect which seems to erase any signal of a grand-maternal effect, if it existed. |
| Exploitation Route | These results are novel and may be of interest to readers interested in ectotherm physiological responses to climate change, and adaptations during range shifts. In the context of global pest or disease species, this may have important implications for a time limit on our ability to control populations establishing in a novel environment. Rapid eradication may be critical, when maladaptive plasticity is still present and before the acquisition of beneficial developmental plasticity which may ultimately allow a range expansion to gain momentum. |
| Sectors | Agriculture Food and Drink |
| Description | Hosting school children to the university to learn about invertebrates |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an open day or visit at my research institution |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Schools |
| Results and Impact | Stimulating interest in school children about the importance of diverse insect communities More broadly encouraged families to be interested and discuss science at home by sparking questions and discussions with us and amongst themselves. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |