Adaptation to a changing environment is a major topic in evolutionary biology and ecology. It is fostered by the need to understand, forecast, and mitigate the effects of anthropogenic changes on biodiversity. This project proposes to advance our understanding of the molecular basis of traits and the eco-evolutionary processes involved in adaptation to climate changes. I propose an experimental and theoretical approach. The experimental evolution approach with the insect Tribolium castaneum investigates the mode of adaptation (oligo vs polygenic) to changing environments (temperature and humidity) in the laboratory. With modeling of corresponding adaptive processes, we will investigate the occurrence of polygenic adaptation in computer simulations. This project will help understand how the genetic details of adaptive traits affect species' rate of extinction and the evolution of a species' range under climate change to help forecast species' adaptive responses to climate change.

2023

2027