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Modeling with model organisms Eye of Science / Photo Researchers, Inc Fruit fly genetics may help us understand how organisms can - or can't - adapt to climate change. By Andrea Gawrylewski Related Articles: 1 Hoffman's team reported that on the East Coast of Australia, the classical latitudinal genetic clines of Drosophila have shifted over the past 20 years an equivalent of 4 degrees latitude (some 400 km), which means that genetic clines are now found in f

Brendan Moller

Jan 1, 2007 | 3 min read

Modeling with model organisms

Eye of Science / Photo Researchers, Inc

Fruit fly genetics may help us understand how organisms can - or can't - adapt to climate change.

By Andrea Gawrylewski

1 Hoffman's team reported that on the East Coast of Australia, the classical latitudinal genetic clines of Drosophila have shifted over the past 20 years an equivalent of 4 degrees latitude (some 400 km), which means that genetic clines are now found in flies 400 kilometers away from where they were 20 years ago.

Can organisms that change as the climate does have the genetic wherewithal to keep up with rising temperatures?

The researchers focused their analysis on the alcohol dehydrogenase (Adh) locus, since the Adh gene has been correlated with natural variation due to temperature, rainfall, and humidity changes. In addition to tracking the gene's presence in different populations, "we're basically trying to...

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Modeling with model organisms

Fruit fly genetics may help us understand how organisms can - or can't - adapt to climate change.

Related Articles:

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