Origins & Evolution: informatics activities and needs

Steve BrooksNatural History Museum

London, UK

Rationale

use NHM Life Science collections to investigate response of organisms to climate change

Focus

• phenology

• morphometry

• niche

• freshwater insects, bees, beetles, butterflies, flowering plants, bird eggs

Phenology• dates of flowering, emergence, egg-laying, pollinia removal

• NHM specimens give longer time perspective than most observational records

• provides baseline on rates of phenological change prior to recent rapid climate change

• NHM data available for rare species

• place and date of collection against climate

• pilot study of four species of British butterflies

Orange Tip

Grizzled Skipper

Duke of Burgundy

Adonis Blue

Initial results

Orange Tip Duke of Burgundy

Adonis Blue (1st generation) Grizzled Skipper

Interpretation of results

• significant negative correlation between earliest collection date and median collection date and spring temperature

• significant positive correlation between length of flight period and spring or summer temperature

• warmer springs result in earlier flying dates and extend flying season

• cool, wet springs delay first flying dates

• rates of advancement per 1C for early emerging species higher in NHM data than modern observations

• for early emerging species March temperature more significant than February in NHM data

Morphometry

• stomatal density, leaf morphology influenced by climate, change through time (with Utrecht University)

• wing and body symmetry and size of insects may vary with climate and influence distribution

• use digital images of UK and European dragonflies to test this hypothesis

Niche

• hypothesis that temperature and precipitation drives distribution of European flora and fauna

• compile locality data of European freshwater insects and beetles from NHM collections

• model distribution range against climate and environmental variables

• determine major variables driving distribution

• in collaboration with Queen’s University Belfast.