McCulloch Graham A, Foster Brodie J, Ingram Travis, Waters Jonathan M
Department of Zoology University of Otago Dunedin New Zealand.
Ecol Evol. 2024 Dec 3;14(12):e70673. doi: 10.1002/ece3.70673. eCollection 2024 Dec.
Exposed and isolated alpine ecosystems present evolutionary challenges for flying species worldwide. Many insects have undergone dramatic wing reduction in response to these harsh conditions, losing the ability to fly. By contrast, some taxa have countered alpine conditions by evolving larger wings to improve flight ability. In this study, we investigated how two independent clades of stoneflies respond to upland environments. Our results revealed strikingly different adaptations to elevation across the two closely related clades. In Clade 1 (southern South Island), wing length sharply with increasing elevation. In contrast, wing length in the geographically adjacent Clade 2 (northern South Island, and North Island) with elevation. These contrasting strategies highlight the diverse adaptive pathways that may exist even for closely related lineages encountering similar environmental challenges.
暴露且孤立的高山生态系统给全球的飞行物种带来了进化挑战。许多昆虫为应对这些恶劣条件，翅膀大幅退化，失去了飞行能力。相比之下，一些类群通过进化出更大的翅膀来提高飞行能力，从而应对高山环境。在本研究中，我们调查了两个独立的石蝇分支如何应对高地环境。我们的结果显示，这两个密切相关的分支对海拔高度有着截然不同的适应性。在分支1（南岛南部），翅长随着海拔升高而急剧下降。相比之下，在地理上相邻的分支2（南岛北部和北岛），翅长随着海拔升高而增加。这些截然不同的策略凸显了即使是面临相似环境挑战的密切相关谱系，也可能存在多样的适应途径。
