Mosquitoes are altering their photoperiod genes and fungi are increasing the length of the fruiting periods. These two observations give direct clues to the fact that most organisms on planet earth are busy working out their own survival strategies to combat the effects of climate change.
Recently, a research team from the University of Oregon led by Dr Bradshaw and Dr Holzapfel have been able to track the location of the genes that control photoperiodism in mosquitoes.
Fungal fruiting changes have been happening right from 1974. Researchers from Cardiff University examined over 52 000 fungal fruiting records from m
ore than 1,400 localities in southern England between 1950 – 2005.The researches found that in the 1950s, average fruiting durations were 33 days while in the millennium decade, it increased to nearly double the duration i.e. 75 days.
Says Professor Lynne Boddy, Cardiff School of Bioscience, "The increase in the overall fruiting period is dramatic, and much higher than equivalent spring data reported for plants, insects or birds."
Sources:
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/04/070423130327.htm
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/04/070418132343.htm
image source: IMSI Master Clips
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