Thermal evolution during range expansion of the pace-of-life and the mitochondrial phenotype: a complex life cycle perspective

Range expansions toward warmer regions provide natural experiments to study the rapid thermal evolution of the pace-of-life (POL). The POL refers to the alignment along a fast-slow continuum, whereby fast-paced animals have a faster life history and metabolic rate, but an increased sensitivity to oxidative stress and a shorter lifespan. I will study the thermal evolution and plasticity of the POL during the range expansion of the damselfly Ischnura elegans from France into Spain, and this in an integrated way across its complex life cycle by conducting a common-garden rearing experiment. I will also investigate the thermal evolution and plasticity of the mitochondrial phenotype (mitochondrial density and efficiency) as possible driver of the POL patterns during range expansion. Moreover, by studying the gene-expression levels using RNA-sequencing, I will increase the understanding of the underlying mechanisms contributing to the POL and mitochondrial phenotype. Finally, using whole-genome sequencing data, I will assess whether hybridization of I. elegans with the locally adapted Spanish I. graellsii has contributed to the evolution of I. elegans to the new warmer thermal regime, thereby focusing on the role of adaptive introgression of the POL-associated genes and the entire mitogenome. Identifying the mechanisms driving adaptive divergence is crucial for understanding, modelling and predicting the (evolutionary) trajectories of species in novel environments.