Can species interactions drive rapid niche evolution? (Old ID 23427)
Role
Supervisor
Description
Climate change can alter the distribution of speies and cause novel interactions This project will test whether such interactions can actually drive adaptation to the changing environment. Two Australian fruitfly species will be lab-reared separately and together along a thermal resource gradient. Estimates of each species' niche will be obtained. Using experimental evolution, resource space will then be manipulated to create competition and test whether either species/ niche will evolve into new space. A shift of either species beyond its former niche limits would provide evidence of the potential for evolutionary rescue via rapid adaptation to changing environmental conditions.
Date
01 May 2017 - 30 Apr 2018
Project Type
GRANT
Keywords
Fundamental Niche;ecological character displacement;realised niche;rapid adaptation;Interspecific Competition;niche shift
Funding Body
American Society of Naturalists
Amount
2645
Project Team
Conrad Hoskin;Megan Higgie