Heat freezes niche evolution

Climate change is altering phenology and distributions of many species and further changes are projected. Can species physiologically adapt to climate warming? We analyse thermal tolerances of a large number of terrestrial ectotherm (n = 697), endotherm (n = 227) and plant (n = 1816) species worldwide, and show that tolerance to heat is largely conserved across lineages, while tolerance to cold varies between and within species. This pattern, previously documented for ectotherms, is apparent for this group and for endotherms and plants, challenging the longstanding view that physiological tolerances of species change continuously across climatic gradients. An alternative view is proposed in which the thermal…

• NS
  National Science Foundation
• SN
  Statens Naturvidenskabelige Forskningsrad
• MD
  Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad
• CN
  Comisión Nacional de Investigación Científica y Tecnológica

  Award: PFB-23