Biodiversity Research Centre, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
Department of Botany, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
Evolution. 2024 May 29;78(6):1067-1077. doi: 10.1093/evolut/qpae037.
Climate anomalies are increasing and posing strong selection, which can lead to rapid evolution. This is occurring on a backdrop of interannual variability that might weaken or even reverse selection. However, the effect of interannual climatic variability on rapid evolution is rarely considered. We study the climatic differences that contribute to rapid evolution throughout a 7-year period, encompassing a severe drought across 12 populations of Mimulus cardinalis (scarlet monkeyflower). Plants were grown in a common greenhouse environment under wet and dry treatments, where specific leaf area and date of flowering were measured. We examine the association between trait values and different climate metrics at different time periods, including the collection year, prior years, and cumulative metrics across sequential years. Of the climatic variables we assessed, we find that anomalies in mean annual precipitation best describe trait differences over our study period. Past climates, of 1-2 years prior, are often related to trait values in a conflicting direction to collection-year climate. Uncovering these complex climatic impacts on evolution is critical to better predict and interpret the impacts of climate change.
气候异常正在增加，并形成强烈的选择压力，这可能导致快速进化。这种情况发生在年际可变性的背景下，年际可变性可能削弱甚至逆转选择。然而，年际气候变率对快速进化的影响很少被考虑。我们研究了在一个包含 12 个 Mimulus cardinalis（猩红金鱼草）种群的严重干旱的 7 年期间导致快速进化的气候差异。在一个常见的温室环境中，对植物进行干湿处理，测量特定叶面积和开花日期。我们检查了在不同时间段（包括采集年份、前几年和连续年份的累积指标）之间，性状值与不同气候指标之间的关联。在我们评估的气候变量中，我们发现平均年降水量异常最能描述我们研究期间的性状差异。过去的气候，即前 1-2 年的气候，往往与采集年份气候的性状值方向相反。揭示这些复杂的气候对进化的影响对于更好地预测和解释气候变化的影响至关重要。
