Abstract
No species is found everywhere, and all species eventually become extinct. However, given that local adaptation is widespread across many geographical ranges, why do evolutionary responses to natural selection stop at ecological margins? These questions are timely given that many species need to shift their geographical ranges, or stay and adapt to more extreme conditions, in order to prevent extinction due to climate change. A key issue in this discussion is the effect of phenotypic plasticity on ecological resilience, and on evolutionary responses. I will introduce some recent models for evolution at range margins, and present ecological and genetic data from insect and plant systems that explore their reality in natural populations.
About Professor Jon Bridle
Jon Bridle is a professor of evolutionary biology at University College London. His research group uses a combination of experimental evolution, quantitative genetics, and population genomics. He is interested in the ecological and genetic factors that determine maximum rates of evolution in time and space. This determines a species' distribution, niche width, and how these respond to environmental change.
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