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The evolution of critical thermal limits of life on Earth

Author

Listed:
  • Joanne M. Bennett

    (German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig
    Leipzig University
    University of Canberra
    Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg)

  • Jennifer Sunday

    (McGill University)

  • Piero Calosi

    (Université du Québec à Rimouski)

  • Fabricio Villalobos

    (Universidade Federal de Goiás
    Instituto de Ecología, A.C.)

  • Brezo Martínez

    (Universidad Rey Juan Carlos)

  • Rafael Molina-Venegas

    (Universidad de Alcalá)

  • Miguel B. Araújo

    (CSIC
    University of Évora)

  • Adam C. Algar

    (University of Nottingham)

  • Susana Clusella-Trullas

    (Stellenbosch University)

  • Bradford A. Hawkins

    (University of California-Irvine)

  • Sally A. Keith

    (Lancaster University
    University of Copenhagen)

  • Ingolf Kühn

    (German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig
    Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg
    Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research—UFZ)

  • Carsten Rahbek

    (University of Copenhagen
    Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research—UFZ
    Imperial College London, Ascot
    University of Southern Denmark)

  • Laura Rodríguez

    (Universidad Rey Juan Carlos)

  • Alexander Singer

    (German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig
    Leipzig University)

  • Ignacio Morales-Castilla

    (Universidad de Alcalá)

  • Miguel Ángel Olalla-Tárraga

    (Universidad Rey Juan Carlos)

Abstract

Understanding how species’ thermal limits have evolved across the tree of life is central to predicting species’ responses to climate change. Here, using experimentally-derived estimates of thermal tolerance limits for over 2000 terrestrial and aquatic species, we show that most of the variation in thermal tolerance can be attributed to a combination of adaptation to current climatic extremes, and the existence of evolutionary ‘attractors’ that reflect either boundaries or optima in thermal tolerance limits. Our results also reveal deep-time climate legacies in ectotherms, whereby orders that originated in cold paleoclimates have presently lower cold tolerance limits than those with warm thermal ancestry. Conversely, heat tolerance appears unrelated to climate ancestry. Cold tolerance has evolved more quickly than heat tolerance in endotherms and ectotherms. If the past tempo of evolution for upper thermal limits continues, adaptive responses in thermal limits will have limited potential to rescue the large majority of species given the unprecedented rate of contemporary climate change.

Suggested Citation

  • Joanne M. Bennett & Jennifer Sunday & Piero Calosi & Fabricio Villalobos & Brezo Martínez & Rafael Molina-Venegas & Miguel B. Araújo & Adam C. Algar & Susana Clusella-Trullas & Bradford A. Hawkins & S, 2021. "The evolution of critical thermal limits of life on Earth," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 12(1), pages 1-9, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:12:y:2021:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-021-21263-8
    DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-21263-8
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    Cited by:

    1. Ali Ismaeel & Amos P. K. Tai & Erone Ghizoni Santos & Heveakore Maraia & Iris Aalto & Jan Altman & Jiří Doležal & Jonas J. Lembrechts & José Luís Camargo & Juha Aalto & Kateřina Sam & Lair Cristina Av, 2024. "Patterns of tropical forest understory temperatures," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-10, December.
    2. Hester Weaving & John S. Terblanche & Patrice Pottier & Sinead English, 2022. "Meta-analysis reveals weak but pervasive plasticity in insect thermal limits," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-11, December.
    3. Lindsay A. Rutter & Matthew J. MacKay & Henry Cope & Nathaniel J. Szewczyk & JangKeun Kim & Eliah Overbey & Braden T. Tierney & Masafumi Muratani & Ben Lamm & Daniela Bezdan & Amber M. Paul & Michael , 2024. "Protective alleles and precision healthcare in crewed spaceflight," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-13, December.
    4. Daniel Eliahou Ontiveros & Gregory Beaugrand & Bertrand Lefebvre & Chloe Markussen Marcilly & Thomas Servais & Alexandre Pohl, 2023. "Impact of global climate cooling on Ordovician marine biodiversity," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-9, December.

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