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Evolutionary responses of arthropods to the novel selective pressures of urbanization

Yilmaz, Aaron Richard
http://orcid.org/0000-0003-2135-8557
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=case1648826874590579

Abstract Details

2022, Doctor of Philosophy, Case Western Reserve University, Biology.
Contemporary evolutionary change, once thought exceedingly rare, studied in the context of rapid urbanization and the novel selective pressures urbanization entails, provides a fortuitous albeit accidental, global experiment where evolutionary hypotheses can be tested with replication in real time. Cities are excellent venues to explore adaptation and evolution in response to novel selective pressures, and to examine the potential for rapid evolution along different dimensions of the phenotype. Here, I use common garden and reciprocal transplant approaches to examine evolved and plastic responses to urbanization in several focal traits for two arthropod taxa. Additionally, I assess whether evolutionary divergence between adjacent urban and rural populations has led to local adaptation and eco-evolutionary feedbacks. I focus on traits critical to persistence in the city—heat, cold, and desiccation tolerance, running speed, and body size interactions within several of these traits. I begin by examining body size in the acorn ant (Temnothorax curvispinosus) in relation to thermal tolerance, source population, and rearing temperature, finding that the evolution of heat tolerance and body size are decoupled in this system. I then examine the potential for evolution in heat and desiccation tolerance in response to urbanization in a terrestrial isopod (Oniscus asellus), finding support for the evolution of improved heat tolerance in urban populations, but no evidence for evolution in desiccation tolerance. Using this same isopod system, I next examine whether the urban populations’ evolution in response to urbanization has conferred benefits in running speed (a trait critical for resource acquisition and predator avoidance) under chronic, stressfully hot rearing conditions. I find that the urban population has evolved higher running speed under stressful rearing temperatures. Lastly, I use a reciprocal transplant with the same isopod system to explore whether the urban populations’ evolution is adaptive, and what ecological consequences this may have, finding evidence for local adaptation and countergradient evolution in feeding rate for the urban population. Overall, this work demonstrates the highly variable nature of traits in the face of novel selective pressures; despite strong selection, not all traits will evolve rapidly in response to novel selective pressures.
Ryan Martin (Advisor)
Sarah Diamond (Committee Member)
Karen Abbott (Committee Member)
Katie Stuble (Committee Member)
191 p.
Biology; Climate Change; Ecology; Entomology; Evolution and Development; Morphology; Organismal Biology; Physiology; Zoology
Body size; CT(max); CT(min); Global change; Thermal tolerance; Urban heat island; Adaptation; Plasticity; Running speed; Desiccation tolerance; Eco-evolutionary dynamics

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Yilmaz, A. R. (2022). Evolutionary responses of arthropods to the novel selective pressures of urbanization [Doctoral dissertation, Case Western Reserve University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=case1648826874590579

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Yilmaz, Aaron. Evolutionary responses of arthropods to the novel selective pressures of urbanization. 2022. Case Western Reserve University, Doctoral dissertation. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=case1648826874590579.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Yilmaz, Aaron. "Evolutionary responses of arthropods to the novel selective pressures of urbanization." Doctoral dissertation, Case Western Reserve University, 2022. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=case1648826874590579

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

case1648826874590579
257
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This open access ETD is published by Case Western Reserve University School of Graduate Studies and OhioLINK.