Evolution in Action at “Evolution Canyon” (E. Nevo, 1997. Theor. Pop. Biol)

How to overcome these inconsistencies?

Reducing the number of environmental factors

Running simultaneous studies of several species - allows variation across species to be controlled and increase the magnitude of asymmetry signal

Using standardized sampling, measurement and analysis.Quantifying asymmetry at the “Evolution

Canyon”

Distribution of taxa and ecological groups at “Evolution Canyon”

Skin beetles

butterflies

Scorpions

Darkling beetles

Reptiles

Grasshoppers

Springtails

Mosses

Soil fungi

Trees and shrubs

Chrysomelidae

beetles

(S. Raz, S. Retzkin, T.Pavlíček, A. Hoffman, H. Kimchi, D. Zehavi, A. Beiles, and E. Nevo. 2009.. PLoS

ONE ).(E. Nevo, S. Raz, A. Beiles. 1996. . Israel Journal of Zoology).

Adaptations to the opposing slopes •The genetic diversity, both of allozyme and DNA was found to be

higher on the AS in 11 out of 16 model organisms.

•D. melanogaster-Male recombination was 4-fold higher on the stressful AS than on the mesic ES.

•The spiny mouse acomys cahirinus diverged behaviorally , physiologiucally and genetically

•Woody species (C. siliqua; P. lentiscus and O. europaea) - ES shrubs develop ‘‘shade leaves’’ Shrubs on the AS – xeromorphic

leaves ( thicker epidermis).

Mate Choice

Plants Fungi Snails Beetles

Testing the effect of stress on

asymmetry at “Evolution Canyon”

r 2

12 species 5 species 6 species 1 species

(S. Raz, et al., 2011.Submitted,

Ecological Indicators.)

(S. Raz, et al., Nevo.

2011 BJLS) .

Asymmetry Measurements of Plants

Variations in size and asymmetry in the studied taxonomic groups

Taxonomic group Number of

studied

species

Percentage of

species (%)with

bigger size on the

ES

Percentage (%)of species which

display negative correlation

between asymmetry and

abundance

Vascular plants 12 100 81.81

Soil microfungi 5 60 80

Land-snails 6 66.67 50

Beetles 1 100 100

Overall significance P*=0.0015 P*=0.0347

Prospects