• HOME
  • NEWS
    • BIOENGINEERING
    • SCIENCE NEWS
  • EXPLORE
    • CAREER
      • Companies
      • Jobs
    • EVENTS
    • iGEM
      • News
      • Team
    • PHOTOS
    • VIDEO
    • WIKI
  • BLOG
  • COMMUNITY
    • FACEBOOK
    • FORUM
    • INSTAGRAM
    • TWITTER
  • CONTACT US
Wednesday, June 29, 2022
BIOENGINEER.ORG
No Result
View All Result
  • Login
  • HOME
  • NEWS
    • BIOENGINEERING
    • SCIENCE NEWS
  • EXPLORE
    • CAREER
      • Companies
      • Jobs
        • Lecturer
        • PhD Studentship
        • Postdoc
        • Research Assistant
    • EVENTS
    • iGEM
      • News
      • Team
    • PHOTOS
    • VIDEO
    • WIKI
  • BLOG
  • COMMUNITY
    • FACEBOOK
    • FORUM
    • INSTAGRAM
    • TWITTER
  • CONTACT US
  • HOME
  • NEWS
    • BIOENGINEERING
    • SCIENCE NEWS
  • EXPLORE
    • CAREER
      • Companies
      • Jobs
        • Lecturer
        • PhD Studentship
        • Postdoc
        • Research Assistant
    • EVENTS
    • iGEM
      • News
      • Team
    • PHOTOS
    • VIDEO
    • WIKI
  • BLOG
  • COMMUNITY
    • FACEBOOK
    • FORUM
    • INSTAGRAM
    • TWITTER
  • CONTACT US
No Result
View All Result
Bioengineer.org
No Result
View All Result
Home NEWS Science News

Insects feel the heat: Scientists reveal rise in temperature affects ability to reproduce

Bioengineer by Bioengineer
January 10, 2017
in Science News
0
Share on FacebookShare on TwitterShare on LinkedinShare on RedditShare on Telegram
  • Even a mild rise in temperature damages insect's ability to reproduce
  • Insect populations in high latitude countries are worst affected
  • Identifying genes linked to increased and decreased reproduction may help understand how insects cope with climate change and controlling insect pests

With 2016 set to be the warmest year on record, scientists have discovered insects are already feeling the effects of climate change, as a rise in temperature is shown to damage their ability to reproduce.

The study, conducted by researchers from the University of Sheffield, found that being exposed to mild heat as a juvenile negatively affects their chances of producing offspring as an adult.

The research also revealed the extent of the negative effects varied depending on where the insect population is based. Insects which evolve in countries at low latitudes – such as Spain – cope better with above average temperature rises compared to those living at high latitudes, such as Sweden.

This means insects in high latitude countries are more vulnerable to climate change, which could lead to a decline in population.

Dr Rhonda Snook, lead investigator of the study from the University of Sheffield's Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, said: "We already knew that insects are feeling the effect of climate change but we now know they are felt at much lower temperatures.

"Our study is unique as we only exposed the insects to mild heat but tested the long-term impact this had on them as both juveniles and when they reached adulthood. The results show that even small increases in temperature may still cause populations to decline because – while these insects don't die because of the mild heat – they produce fewer offspring.

She added: "Juvenile insects are extremely susceptible to environmental changes as they don't move around much because they are either larvae – like butterfly caterpillars – or they don't yet have wings to fly away."

The study, published in the Journal of Evolutionary Biology, was carried out on fruit flies and researchers strongly suspect the findings will be the same for other insects.

Dr Snook, who is a Royal Society Leverhulme Trust Senior Research Fellow, added: "We are now interested in finding out what genes differ between Spanish and Swedish populations that allow the Spanish flies to cope better.

"Identifying genes that are linked to increased and decreased reproduction is something which may be very useful not only in understanding how insects will cope with climate change but from the perspective of controlling insect pests."

###

The University of Sheffield

With almost 27,000 of the brightest students from over 140 countries, learning alongside over 1,200 of the best academics from across the globe, the University of Sheffield is one of the world's leading universities.

A member of the UK's prestigious Russell Group of leading research-led institutions, Sheffield offers world-class teaching and research excellence across a wide range of disciplines.

Unified by the power of discovery and understanding, staff and students at the university are committed to finding new ways to transform the world we live in.

Sheffield is the only university to feature in The Sunday Times 100 Best Not-For-Profit Organisations to Work For 2016 and was voted number one university in the UK for Student Satisfaction by Times Higher Education in 2014. In the last decade it has won four Queen's Anniversary Prizes in recognition of the outstanding contribution to the United Kingdom's intellectual, economic, cultural and social life.

Sheffield has six Nobel Prize winners among former staff and students and its alumni go on to hold positions of great responsibility and influence all over the world, making significant contributions in their chosen fields.

Global research partners and clients include Boeing, Rolls-Royce, Unilever, AstraZeneca, Glaxo SmithKline, Siemens and Airbus, as well as many UK and overseas government agencies and charitable foundations.

For further information, please visit http://www.sheffield.ac.uk

For further information please contact: Amy Pullan, Media Relations Officer, University of Sheffield, 0114 222 9859, [email protected]

To read other news releases about the University of Sheffield, visit http://www.sheffield.ac.uk/news

Media Contact

Amy Pullan
[email protected]
01-142-229-859
@sheffielduni

http://www.shef.ac.uk

############

Story Source: Materials provided by Scienmag

Share12Tweet7Share2ShareShareShare1

Related Posts

Berkeley Surface Emitting Laser

New single-mode semiconductor laser delivers power with scalability

June 29, 2022
Studying chemicals in wastewater

Monitoring COVID-19: Could medicine found in wastewater provide an early warning?

June 29, 2022

Ice Age wolf DNA reveals dogs trace ancestry to two separate wolf populations

June 29, 2022

Destruction and recovery of kelp forests driven by changes in sea urchin behavior

June 29, 2022
Please login to join discussion

POPULAR NEWS

  • Pacific whiting

    Oregon State University research finds evidence to suggest Pacific whiting skin has anti-aging properties that prevent wrinkles

    37 shares
    Share 15 Tweet 9
  • University of Miami Rosenstiel School selected for National ‘Reefense’ Initiative focusing on Florida and the Caribbean

    35 shares
    Share 14 Tweet 9
  • Saving the Mekong delta from drowning

    37 shares
    Share 15 Tweet 9
  • Sharks may be closer to the city than you think, new study finds

    34 shares
    Share 14 Tweet 9

About

We bring you the latest biotechnology news from best research centers and universities around the world. Check our website.

Follow us

Tags

WeaponryUrogenital SystemVaccineZoology/Veterinary ScienceWeather/StormsVirusUrbanizationUniversity of WashingtonVaccinesVirologyVehiclesViolence/Criminals

Recent Posts

  • New single-mode semiconductor laser delivers power with scalability
  • Monitoring COVID-19: Could medicine found in wastewater provide an early warning?
  • Ice Age wolf DNA reveals dogs trace ancestry to two separate wolf populations
  • Destruction and recovery of kelp forests driven by changes in sea urchin behavior
  • Contact Us

© 2019 Bioengineer.org - Biotechnology news by Science Magazine - Scienmag.

No Result
View All Result
  • Homepages
    • Home Page 1
    • Home Page 2
  • News
  • National
  • Business
  • Health
  • Lifestyle
  • Science

© 2019 Bioengineer.org - Biotechnology news by Science Magazine - Scienmag.

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In
Posting....