Scientists have documented that spring seasons starting earlier due to climate change have resulted in some caterpillar species
beginning their maturation stage earlier than normal. There are bird species that need the caterpillars to feed their chicks. However, since the caterpillars are maturing before the chicks hatch (and therefore cannot be used for chick food), the birds are experiencing a drop in their lifetime reproductive success. Interestingly, scientists have also documented that the individual birds that are successful in altering their egg-laying patterns to align with earlier spring seasons have the greatest lifetime reproductive success. These phenomena are examples of ________.
Global climate change will not only affect migration patterns, biotic interactions, and local population dynamics, but also the selective pressures experienced by populations. Coupled ecological and evolutionary changes are therefore expected under climate change.
