Cold winters limit northward spread of butterfly species despite rapid evolution
As the climate warms, many species are shifting northward into areas that were previously too cold for them. A study, "Winters restrict a climate change-driven butterfly range expansion despite rapid evolution of seasonal timing traits," on the wall brown butterfly, published in PNAS, shows that rapid evolution can aid this process—but only up to a point. Cold winters stop further expansion beyond certain climatic limits.
As the climate warms, many species are shifting northward into areas that were previously too cold for them. A study, "Winters restrict a climate change-driven butterfly range expansion despite rapid evolution of seasonal timing traits," on the wall brown butterfly, published in PNAS, shows that rapid evolution can aid this process—but only up to a point. Cold winters stop further expansion beyond certain climatic limits.
