美国密歇根大学的研究发现，密生牵牛在九年间的适应进化速率出现了显著下降1。该研究表明，这种植物的适应率从预期的76%跌至约9%，降幅达96%1。
研究人员指出，植物陷入了一个进化困境1。为了吸引日益稀缺的授粉昆虫，密生牵牛逐渐进化出更大的花朵，但这一选择限制了其对气候变化的适应能力1。花朵大小与花期时间这两个性状产生了关联，形成了协变关系，进一步强化了这种权衡1。
密歇根大学的Regina Baucom教授表示，"植物不是缺乏进化的燃料——它越来越被锁定在一条优先考虑授粉昆虫吸引的轨迹上，可能以气候适应为代价"1。尽管如此，这些植物仍保有充足的遗传多样性1。
该研究由密歇根大学博士毕业生Sasha Bishop领导，与多伦多大学研究员John Stinchcombe合作完成1。研究人员通过在九年间隔内从野生种群采集样本进行了这项研究1，研究已发表于《Evolution Letters》期刊1。
Researchers at the University of Michigan have discovered that common morning glories are experiencing a dramatic slowdown in their capacity to adapt to climate change, caught in an evolutionary trade-off between surviving environmental shifts and attracting scarce pollinators.1 Over a nine-year period, the plants' adaptation rate plummeted from an expected 76 percent to approximately 9 percent—a 96 percent decline.1
The study, led by doctoral graduate Sasha Bishop in collaboration with University of Toronto researcher John Stinchcombe, found that two plant traits—flower size and flowering time—have become correlated, creating an evolutionary constraint.1 Plants are prioritizing the evolution of larger flowers to attract pollinators, but this strategy comes at the cost of limiting their ability to shift flowering times in response to changing climate conditions.1 Regina Baucom, a professor involved in the research, explained that "plants are not lacking the fuel for evolution—they are increasingly locked into a trajectory that prioritizes attracting pollinating insects, potentially at the expense of climate adaptation."1 Despite having sufficient genetic diversity to adapt, the plants remain unable to pursue both evolutionary paths simultaneously.1 The findings were published in Evolution Letters.1
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