Climate change is exacerbating problems such as loss of habitats and changes in temperature. This, in turn, has led to many animals disappearing or becoming endangered. Now, research from McGill University has been able to conclude that some fish, such as the three-spined stickleback, could adapt very quickly to extreme seasonal changes caused by climate change. These findings could help scientists predict the evolutionary future of numerous species.
Adaptations to climate change
Spiny fish are known for their different shapes, sizes, and behaviors. In fact, they can live in both seawater and freshwater at different temperatures. But why is this species so hardy?
Uncovering the genetic basis for adaptations to climate change can be challenging. “Darwin’s modern version of evolution by natural selection considers that organisms with genes that favor survival and reproduction tend to leave more offspring, causing genes to increase over generations. As a result, populations become they adapt better to their environments over time, “says lead author of the research, Alan García Elfring.
Natural selection in real time
To study natural selection, the researchers tracked six populations of spiny fish before and after seasonal changes in their environment, using genome sequencing. Seasonal changes cause drastic changes in habitats and imbalances in salt water. Therefore, only fish capable of rapidly tolerating these changes survive until the next season.
However, the researchers discovered genetic modifications (in fish) that had been caused by seasonal changes in different habitats. Furthermore, as stated by García Elfring, these genetic changes occurred in independent populations during a single season, highlighting the speed with which the effects of natural selection can be detected.
This finding is very important because it suggests that genetic differences can be used to predict how different species may adapt to environmental factors such as climate change.
Now, researchers are focused on discovering the frequency of observed genetic changes, because they want to see if they appear year after year.
