Organisms have the remarkable ability to adjust their life history traits in response to changes in temperature, a phenomenon known as thermal adaptation. This is particularly important for mosquitoes, as their traits can impact the transmission of mosquito-borne diseases, especially in the face of climate warming.
A recent study titled “Phenotypic adaptation to temperature in the mosquito vector, Aedes aegypti,” published in the journal Global Change Biology, sheds light on the often overlooked aspect of thermal adaptation in models that assess the impact of climate change on mosquito-borne diseases. The study was conducted by a team of scientists, including researchers from the Invasive Science Research Institute.
Many existing models fail to consider the potential influence of thermal adaptation in mosquitoes, despite the widely acknowledged impact of temperature on mosquito biology. According to Thomas, a member of the research team, the implications of temperature on disease transmission are still not fully understood.
The authors argue that the variation in responses to temperature among different mosquito populations, due to potential thermal adaptation, is not adequately captured by models that take a uniform approach. These “one-size-fits-all” models may not accurately represent the diversity of responses among mosquito populations and could also fail to predict future adaptations as temperatures change.
2024-02-26 18:00:05
Original from phys.org