It has been postulated that climate warming may pose the greatest threat species in the tropics, where ectotherms have evolved more thermal specialist physiologies. Although species could rapidly respond to environmental change through adaptation, little is known about the potential for thermal adaptation, especially in tropical species. In the light of the limited empirical evidence available and predictions from mutation-selection theory, we might expect tropical ectotherms to have limited genetic variance to enable adaptation. However, as a consequence of thermodynamic constraints, we might expect this disadvantage to be at least partially offset by a fitness advantage, that is, the ‘hotter-is-better’ hypothesis.
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Links:
[1] http://admin.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/feature-article/forecasting-extinction-risk-ectotherms-under-climate-warming-evolutionary
[2] http://admin.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/category/author/richard-j-walters
[3] http://admin.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/category/author/wolf-u-blanckenhorn
[4] http://admin.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/category/author/david-berger-et-al
[5] http://admin.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/category/journal/functional-ecology
[6] http://admin.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/category/thesaurus/climate-change
[7] http://admin.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/category/thesaurus/climate-adaptation
[8] http://admin.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/category/thesaurus/fauna
[9] http://admin.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/category/thesaurus/biodiversity
[10] http://admin.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/category/thesaurus/climate-science
