Scoop has an Ethical Paywall
Work smarter with a Pro licence Learn More

Video | Business Headlines | Internet | Science | Scientific Ethics | Technology | Search

 

Differences in water temperature can create new species

Differences in water temperature can create new marine species

Wednesday 6 February 2019

Warm and cool water temperatures over a long stretch of coastline cause new species of marine fish to evolve without being isolated from similar types of fish nearby, according to a new international study published in Proceedings of the Royal Society B.

The findings challenge the long held belief that new marine species can only evolve in isolated environments and provides a glimpse into the early stages of species formation in the sea.

The research also suggests that currents with different temperatures, which are known to influence the distribution of species in the sea, might also drive the evolution of new species.

A research team from South Africa and Australia, led by Professor Peter Teske from the University of Johannesburg and Professor Luciano Beheregaray from Flinders University, used information from DNA to test how regional populations of a coastal species of goby are influenced by currents with different temperatures.

This goby is found along the South African coastline which is divided into temperature-defined regions, including cool-temperate, warm-temperate, subtropical and tropical.

The team discovered that while the goby’s regional populations are similar, they showed differences only in the genes impacted by water temperature.

“Each regional goby population is already adapted to its preferred thermal habitat, and migrants that disperse into nearby regions that are too warm or too cold will not do as well as the locals,” says Professor Teske.

Advertisement - scroll to continue reading

Are you getting our free newsletter?

Subscribe to Scoop’s 'The Catch Up' our free weekly newsletter sent to your inbox every Monday with stories from across our network.

In contrast, the remainder of the genes show no identifiable differences yet.

“Over time, the remainder of the genome will “catch up” with the temperature-selected genes, and even later, the new species will also change morphologically. Only then will they be recognisable without the help of genetic methods.”

The results have important implications for the management of threatened or exploited species, and fish stocks around the world.

“When several very young species that already cannot live in each other’s’ habitats are all treated as a single species, this can result in the overfishing of locally adapted stocks, or the extinction of a rare species that has been mistaken for its more abundant neighbour”, says Flinders University Professor Beheregaray.


ends

© Scoop Media

Advertisement - scroll to continue reading
 
 
 
Business Headlines | Sci-Tech Headlines

 
GenPro: General Practices Begin Issuing Clause 14 Notices

GenPro has been copied into a rising number of Clause 14 notices issued since the NZNO lodged its Primary Practice Pay Equity Claim against General Practice employers in December 2023.More

SPADA: Screen Industry Unites For Streaming Platform Regulation & Intellectual Property Protections

In an unprecedented international collaboration, representatives of screen producing organisations from around the world have released a joint statement.More

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Join Our Free Newsletter

Subscribe to Scoop’s 'The Catch Up' our free weekly newsletter sent to your inbox every Monday with stories from across our network.