Scientists may have unlocked the key to reducing our vulnerability to climate change. It may be found in what is known as natural hybridization. This evolutionary process can be defined as the secondary contact between two populations that have evolved separately over a long period of time. A team of scientists led by Dr Chris Brauer, lead author and project coordinator, Professor Luciano Beheregaray, and other biologists have published these findings in the journal Nature Climate Change. With rapid climate change comes the challenge for many species to evolve and adapt quickly to avoid extinction. This is especially necessary for species that don’t tolerate much environmental variation. This is why genetic diversity is important for adapting to climate change.
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To predict species’ vulnerability to rapid climate change, three evolutionary responses are typically taken into consideration. These responses are genetic adaptation, dispersal to a more suitable environment, or acclimation to the altered environment through phenotypic plasticity. Interspecific introgression following hybridization is also often assessed but this is an alternative and perhaps a complementary evolutionary mechanism.
The rare evidence suggests that natural hybridization can reduce the risk of extinction of species threatened by climate change. It is pretty similar to the hybridization between our ancestors and the Neanderthals led to improved fitness in some human populations. The team of scientists in their research traveled to the Australian Wet Tropics. There they estimated environmental niche models and genomic vulnerability for closely related species of rainbowfish across an elevational gradient.
“These mixed populations contain more diversity at genes we think are important for climate adaptation, and are therefore more likely to persist in warmer environments,” Dr Chris Brauer said, quoted news agency ANI.
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The study’s findings highlight the conservation value of hybrid populations. The scientists were also able to indicate that adaptive introgression may contribute to the evolutionary rescue of species that have narrow environmental ranges.
Professor Luciano Beheregaray said, “Our findings are good news for biodiversity. They indicate that genetic mixing is an important tool for conservation that can contribute to natural evolutionary rescue of species threatened by climate change.”
The scientists have concluded that hybrid populations between a widespread generalist and several narrow-range endemic species showcase that there is a reduced vulnerability to climate change compared to pure narrow endemics
NOTE – This article was originally published in news18 and can be viewed here
Tags: #climate, #climatechange, #climatecrisis, #environment, #getgreengetgrowing, #globalwarming, #gngagritech, #greenstories, #nature, #rainbowfish, #scientists
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