A study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences led by Michael Moore at Washington University in St. Louis finds that dragonfly males have consistently evolved less breeding coloration in regions with hotter climates.
A study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences led by Michael Moore at Washington University in St. Louis finds that dragonfly males have consistently evolved less breeding coloration in regions with hotter climates.
“Our study shows that the wing pigmentation of dragonfly males evolves so consistently in response to the climate that it’s among the most predictable evolutionary responses ever observed for a mating-related trait,” said Moore, who is a postdoctoral fellow with the Living Earth Collaborative.
“This work reveals that mating-related traits can be just as important to how organisms adapt to their climates as survival-related traits,” he said.
Many dragonflies have patches of dark black pigmentation on their wings that they use to court potential mates and intimidate rivals.
Read more at Washington University in St. Louis
Photo Credit: Tyna_Janoch via Pixabay
