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Butterflies Shed Light on How Some Species Respond to Global Warming
Westminster, Colo. (August 4, 2010) – With global warming and climate change making headlines nearly every day, it could be reassuring to know that some creatures might cope by gradually moving to new areas as their current ones become less hospitable. Nevertheless, natural relocation of species is not something that can be taken for granted, according to Jessica Hellmann, Associate Professor at the University of Notre Dame Department of Biological Science in Notre Dame, Ind. By studying two species of butterfly, she and her team have found evidence suggesting that a number of genetic variables affect whether and how well a species will relocate.
Dr. Hellmann and her team have conducted a series of studies in which manipulating the temperature of the butterfly larvae’s environment revealed how the two species might respond to global warming. She will discuss the team’s work at the 2010 American Physiological Society’s (www.the-APS.org) Intersociety Meeting in Westminster, Colo., August 4-7. The program is entitled, Global Change and Global Science: Comparative Physiology in a Changing World.
Duskywing and Swallowtail Butterflies: Coping with Change
The Notre Dame team studied the larvae—or caterpillar phase—of two butterfly species, the Propertius duskywing butterfly (Erynnis propertius) and the Anise swallowtail butterfly (Papilio zelicaon). These butterflies, both cold-blooded insects, were chosen because of their ecological differences but they live in the same ecosystem, allowing Dr. Hellmann to compare their responses in a single study.
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A “Crystal Ball” For Predicting the Effects of Global Climate Change
Released August 4, 2010 - By comparing different species to each other, as well as to members within a species that live in different environments, researchers are learning which physiologic features establish environmental optima and tolerance limits. This approach gives the scientific community a “crystal ball” for predicting the effects of global warming. New research focused on species whose body temperatures change in response to their environment and are commonly referred to as “cold-blooded to help predict which organisms will be forced out and which will continue to thrive.