Abstract
The current global warming induces selection on natural populations to adapt to the new conditions. A very pertinent question concerning biodiversity is then how well populations will adapt, or if they will dwindle down to extinction. This is part of a more general question, namely how well the general models for evolutionary change can predict long-term change when several crucial assumptions are not met. We have through computer simulations shown that the form of environmental noise is important such that under certain noise general conclusions can be made, while under other conditions details in the noise makes generalities impossible. I will to test this in the lab using a model organism, the bean weavil, which is very well-studied with regard to life-history traits and basic genetic parameters. I will simulate a climatic trend (temperature) and add different forms of coloured noise, with a control without noise. I will also study the importance of genotype-environment interactions by experiments. This kind of long-term selection experiment where the selection is a result of the interaction between individual organisms and the environment is rare in the literature, but reflect a much more realistic scenario than selection on a given trait. The results will form the base for extended theoretical studies, and will have great importance for the prediction of effects of climate change.
Sweden