Last Update: 04/05/2026 at 2:50 PM EST
Monkeyflowers Show Rapid Drought Recovery
Coverage from Cornell Chronicle, USA TODAY, and others
Articles
5
Latest Article
03/25
Active Days
14
Executive Summary
Scarlet monkeyflower populations in Oregon and California evolved quickly during a severe drought, helping some recover and revealing clues for conservation
- Researchers tracked scarlet monkeyflower populations across Oregon and California for more than a decade
- The 2012 to 2015 California megadrought drove some populations down or to local extinction
- Other populations recovered after evolving drought tolerance within about three years
- Whole genome sequencing across 55 populations found climate linked genetic variation before the drought
- Drought associated DNA patterns became more common in three populations that rebounded fastest
- The traits implicated include stomata regulation and photosynthesis
- Authors say the findings may help predict drought resilience, but results may not extend to long lived species
Quick Facts
- What: Found evolutionary rescue in scarlet monkeyflowers during drought
- Where: Oregon and California along the West Coast
- Why: To test whether rapid evolution can aid climate resilience
- Who: Cornell and University of British Columbia researchers
- When: Monitoring began in 2010 during the 2012 to 2015 drought
Coverage Timeline: 14 Days
Featured Article
Scientists report evolutionary rescue of scarlet monkeyflower during a decade long drought in California and Oregon, based on genomic tracking through 2010s.
Additional Articles
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Scientists on the West Coast document rapid evolution of scarlet monkeyflowers to withstand drought since 2010 in Oregon and California.
Daniel Anstett and colleagues reported rapid evolution in Mimulus cardinalis during the 2012-2015 California megadrought.
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Amy Angert and Daniel Anstett reported Science research showing scarlet monkeyflower populations evolved drought-linked genetic variants during the 2012 to 2015 California megadrought in Oregon and California.
Cornell University and University of British Columbia researchers report genetic and physiological shifts enabling some California scarlet monkeyflower populations to survive the 2010s drought.