Evidence for evolutionary adaptation of mixotrophic nanoflagellates to
warmer temperatures
Abstract
Mixotrophs, which combine photosynthesis and heterotrophy to gain
energy, play an important role global biogeochemical cycles. Metabolic
theory predicts that mixotrophs will become more heterotrophic with
rising temperatures, potentially creating a positive feedback loop that
accelerates carbon dioxide accumulation in the atmosphere. Studies
testing this theory have focused on phenotypically plastic (short-term)
thermal responses of mixotrophs. However, as small organisms with short
generation times and large population sizes, mixotrophs may rapidly
evolve in response to climate change. Here we present data from a 3-year
experiment quantifying the evolutionary response of two mixotrophic
nanoflagellates to temperature. We found evidence for adaptive evolution
(increasing growth rates) in the obligately mixotrophic strain, but not
in the facultative mixotroph, though all lineages evolved greater carbon
use efficiency. Generally, mixotrophs evolved reduced photosynthesis and
higher grazing with increased temperatures, suggesting that evolution
may act to exacerbate mixotrophs’ effects on global carbon cycling.