Evolutionary Ecology - Morphological responses to climate change
Guest Editors
Matthew R. E. Symonds, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Deakin University, Burwood, VIC, Australia
Brian C. Weeks, University of Michigan School for Environment and Sustainability, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
Sara M. K. Ryding, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Deakin University, Waurn Ponds, VIC, Australia
Theme & Objective
Anthropogenic climate change is having profound ecological and evolutionary impacts on organismal biology. Organisms are adapting, both plastically and through selection, to increased temperatures by changing size and shape to better aid thermoregulation, access resources, or withstand harsher environments.
For this special issue we invite contributions that identify morphological changes across different organismal groups, explore the mechanisms underlying the changes, and/or investigate their consequences for species’ physiology, survival, and reproduction. Studies that examine the biotic and abiotic factors that promote or mitigate such morphological responses are also encouraged, as they play an important role in identifying the characteristics of organisms that make them more likely to evolve morphologically in response to climate change. The special issue aims to help to develop a more coherent understanding of this likely significant consequence of climate change.
We seek Research Articles (this opens in a new tab), Perspectives (this opens in a new tab), and Review Articles (this opens in a new tab) for this special issue. We especially encourage research groups from underrepresented regions to submit their work in any of the proposed areas. Students and Early Career Researchers (this opens in a new tab) are also encouraged to submit their research.
This special issue will address United Nations Sustainable Development Goals 13: Climate Action (this opens in a new tab), 14: Life Below Water (this opens in a new tab), and 15: Life on Land (this opens in a new tab).
All manuscripts will be peer-reviewed by experts.
Pre-submission enquiries are welcome.
SUBMISSION DEADLINE: November 30, 2024
- Please follow the submission guidelines (this opens in a new tab) and our checklist (this opens in a new tab).
- Please submit online via SNAPP (this opens in a new tab) and select article type “Special Issue: Morphological responses to climate change”.
EXPECTED PUBLICATION: Mid-2025
(Accepted articles will be made available Online First (this opens in a new tab) on an ongoing basis.)
About the Guest Editors
Prof. Matthew R. E. Symonds (PhD) is an evolutionary ecologist whose work focusses on explaining the evolution of diversity, in particular, identifying the ecological and environmental factors that shape species differences in behaviour, morphology and physiology. He has employed comparative approaches to understand the evolution of life histories, chemical and visual signals, and anti-predator behaviour. Prof. Symonds’s most recent focus has been on bird morphology, and how birds evolve in response to different climate regimes and disturbance. He is also Editor-in-Chief of Evolutionary Ecology. Prof. Symonds and his lab’s research activities can be viewed here (this opens in a new tab).
Dr. Brian C. Weeks (PhD) is an evolutionary ecologist trying to understand species responses to global change, and the role of biodiversity in mitigating these responses. He integrates field biology and museum specimen-based work. Dr. Weeks’s recent work has focused on the mechanisms and consequences of morphological change within the context of recent warming in North American migratory birds, and macroecological gradients in skeletal morphology across passerines. He is also an Associate Editor of Evolutionary Ecology. Dr. Weeks’s lab’s research activities can be viewed here (this opens in a new tab).
Ms. Sara M. K. Ryding (BSc Hons) is an evolutionary ecologist with a focus on how birds respond to climate change. Her work includes morphological responses to climate change, with a particular interest in how appendages involved in thermoregulation are impacted by climatic warming. More recently, Ms. Ryding’s work has focused on how climate change influences population dynamics, with particular emphasis on breeding success in birds. Her research can be viewed here (this opens in a new tab).
Contact Information
Matthew R. E. Symonds
School of Life and Environmental Sciences
Deakin University
Burwood, VIC
Australia
matthew.symonds@deakin.edu.au (this opens in a new tab)
Brian C. Weeks
University of Michigan School for Environment and Sustainability
Ann Arbor, MI
USA
bcweeks@umich.edu (this opens in a new tab)
@BriWeeks_MI (this opens in a new tab)
Sara M. K. Ryding
School of Life and Environmental Sciences
Deakin University
Waurn Ponds, VIC
Australia
s.ryding@deakin.edu.au (this opens in a new tab)
@zuuletc (this opens in a new tab)
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