Climate change and invasive species are among the biggest drivers of biodiversity loss worldwide. A new study from Washington State University reports that rapid evolution may help species adapt to new competition, and these developments influence how animals cope with ongoing climate stress.
Professor Seth Rodman, a co-author of the study, stated, "Our results show that interactions with environmental competitors, including the evolution of invasive species, can shape responses to climate change." Evolution is typically viewed as a slow process occurring over generations, but recent studies have demonstrated that plants and animals can make rapid evolutionary adjustments in response to changes in their environment. Rapid evolution is deemed crucial for all species' survival against global warming and the invasion of non-native species in other environments.
For instance, fruit flies reproduce very quickly, allowing scientists to observe genetic changes across several generations within months. The researchers focused on two types of fruit flies: the black fruit fly, native to North America, and Zaprionus indianus, which has recently begun invading North America. The researchers initially studied whether local flies could evolve quickly in response to exposure to invasive flies during the summer season. They also explored how adaptations made in summer might affect the local species' ability to cope with the colder fall conditions.
The study's lead author, Tis Gringer, remarked, "The great thing about how we conducted this study is that while most experiments looking at rapid evolution use controlled laboratory systems, we utilized an outdoor experimental orchard that mimics the natural habitats of the species we studied, giving our experiment a sense of realism and making our findings more applicable to understanding natural systems."
Furthermore, the study revealed that local fruit flies adapted to the presence of invasive species within just a few months, and this rapid evolution affected how the flies developed upon the arrival of cold weather. In the fall, fruit flies exposed to invasive species evolved to become larger, lay fewer eggs, and develop more quickly than flies that were not exposed to invasive flies. These findings lay the groundwork for studying other endangered species that are harder to reach.
