June 13, 2017
Animals living in areas where
conditions are ideal for their species have less chance of evolving to cope
with climate change, new research suggests.
The study examined whether birds
might be able to evolve to adapt to changes to the natural environment within
their range - the geographical area where the birds nest, feed, migrate and
hibernate over the course of their lifetimes.
It found that populations that
experienced both the most favourable conditions, usually at the centre of their
species' range, and toughest conditions found at the very edges of the range
had the lowest evolutionary potential. The populations that displayed the
greatest potential to evolve with changing conditions were found living between
the two extremes, the study showed.
The research team, including
scientists from the University of Oviedo, University of Málaga, Doñana
Biological Station, the University of Exeter and the University of Western
Australia, studied data on 12 European bird species.
"We were surprised to find
reduced evolutionary potential among birds living in the centre of a species'
range," said co-author Dr Regan Early, of the Centre for Ecology and
Conservation on Exeter's Penryn Campus in Cornwall.
"The reasons for this are
not clear, but high levels of competition in prime areas might lead birds with
certain traits to survive - meaning little genetic variety in the population and
consequently little scope for evolution.
"We found that populations
of birds on the edge of a species' range - like those in the centre - had a
reduced ability to evolve," said lead author Dr Jesus Martinez-Padilla, of
the University of Oviedo.
"This is probably because
they already live in tough conditions for their species. As climate warms,
these populations will probably have to move or die out. This is what might
happen to populations of the Pied Flycatcher in southern Europe. These
populations have little genetic variation compared to northern populations, so
they won't be able to adapt to a changing climate. The birds living in places neither the
best nor the most hostile environmental conditions - appear to have the best
evolutionary potential."
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