<
https://theconversation.com/hybrid-future-interbreeding-can-make-heat-averse-species-more-resilient-to-climate-change-198877>
"As the climate heats up rapidly, many species will struggle to avoid
extinction. If they had time, they could evolve to the new environmental
conditions. But they don’t. That’s where hybridisation could help. When related
species interbreed, the flow of new genetic diversity could help them adapt to
warmer environments.
Hybridisation can often be a cause for concern for species conservation. Our
new research suggests genetic mixing across species may, in fact, offer better
chances of survival for some species – especially those that don’t tolerate
much environmental variation and are likely to be the worst hit by a hotter
climate.
Some species won’t have to face a very uncertain future wholly alone. Related
species may well be able to help.
We looked at what happened when cold-adapted and warm-adapted rainbowfish
interbred. We found the welcome infusion of new genetic diversity was a boon,
bringing down the risk of extinction for threatened species and potentially
making them more resilient."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
