Precipitation drives global variation in natural selection

Authors
Siepielski, AM 
Morrissey, MB 
Buoro, M 
Carlson, SM 
Caruso, CM 

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Type
Article
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Abstract

Climate change has the potential to affect the ecology and evolution of every species on Earth. Although the ecological consequences of climate change are increasingly well documented, the effects of climate on the key evolutionary process driving adaptation - natural selection - are largely unknown. We report that aspects of precipitation and potential evapotranspiration, along with the North Atlantic Oscillation, predicted variation in selection across plant and animal populations throughout many terrestrial biomes, whereas temperature explained little variation. By showing that selection was influenced by climate variation, our results indicate that climate change may cause widespread alterations in selection regimes, potentially shifting evolutionary trajectories at a global scale.

Publication Date
2017-03-03
Online Publication Date
Acceptance Date
2017-02-02
Keywords
Adaptation, Physiological, Animals, Climate Change, Invertebrates, Plants, Rain, Rainforest, Selection, Genetic, Vertebrates
Journal Title
Science
Journal ISSN
0036-8075
1095-9203
Volume Title
355
Publisher
American Association for the Advancement of Science