Adaptation of thermal reaction norms in constant and fluctuating environments

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Landi, C. Hui This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-5005881/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Published Journal Publication published 25 Mar, 2025 Read the published version in Evolutionary Ecology → Version 1 posted 8 You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract Thermal reaction norms depict how temperature influences biological performances, thus also known as thermal performance curves (TPCs). Arguably, the interplay of the thermal environmental conditions and the TPC can shape the strength of intraspecific competition. Such competition can then drive the long-term evolution of the TPC. We develop a Lotka-Volterra model, using adaptive dynamics (AD), to investigate how intraspecific competition among individuals of ectotherms drives the TPC adaptation under constant versus periodically fluctuating environmental temperatures. The competition coefficient from one individual to another is assumed proportional to the ratio of their thermal performances at the current environmental temperature, with the individuals’ thermal performance being adaptive and captured by a beta distribution. Results show that, under a constant temperature, the optimal temperature of the TPC evolves to align perfectly with the environmental temperature, with the TPC breadth shrinking to zero, reflecting local adaptation to complete thermal specialisation. In fluctuating thermal environments, adaptation produces broader TPCs, with their optimal temperature potentially mismatching the average environmental temperature. When the TPC’s optimal temperature matches the average temperature, large temperature fluctuations lead to broad TPCs (thermal generalisation). Our model also shows the emergence of bimodal TPCs under rapid and large temperature fluctuations, indicating adaptation to extreme temperatures and potentially a divergence of thermal strategies within the population. Our theoretical model has demonstrated that adaptation of TPCs in periodic thermal regimes promotes the evolution of thermal generalists and possible character divergence, compared to complete thermal specialisation in constant environments. adaptive dynamics beta distribution optimal temperature performance breadth thermal generalisation thermal specialisation Full Text Additional Declarations No competing interests reported. Supplementary Files EvolEcolOnlineappendix.docx Cite Share Download PDF Status: Published Journal Publication published 25 Mar, 2025 Read the published version in Evolutionary Ecology → Version 1 posted Editorial decision: Revision requested 09 Jan, 2025 Reviews received at journal 17 Dec, 2024 Reviewers agreed at journal 15 Nov, 2024 Reviewers agreed at journal 16 Sep, 2024 Reviewers invited by journal 10 Sep, 2024 Editor assigned by journal 31 Aug, 2024 Submission checks completed at journal 31 Aug, 2024 First submitted to journal 30 Aug, 2024 You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. We do this by developing innovative software and high quality services for the global research community. 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Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-5005881","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Research Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":360105520,"identity":"4add191b-a62d-436a-a224-98e99a81bcd2","order_by":0,"name":"Abdulrahaman Lawal Suleiman","email":"data:image/png;base64,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","orcid":"","institution":"Federal University Dutse","correspondingAuthor":true,"prefix":"","firstName":"Abdulrahaman","middleName":"Lawal","lastName":"Suleiman","suffix":""},{"id":360105521,"identity":"b2ddd7ac-6545-4dae-818e-ee65c5145619","order_by":1,"name":"P. 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