Research out of the Buckley Lab on how butterflies are evolving as climate changes was recently featured on a KCTS 9 episode of Human Elements. Interviewed in this video is Dr. Gwen Shlichta, an affiliate and collaborator of the Buckley Lab. Dr. Shlichta is collaborating with the Buckley Lab to repeat butterfly research that she conducted 25 years ago as a research technician in the Kingsolver Lab at UW Biology to see if there are any changes associated with climate change. Also seen in this video are UW Biology Professor Lauren Buckley and research technician Taylor Hatcher.

Can butterflies evolve to adapt to climate change? Dr. Gwen Shlichta studies cabbage white butterflies to monitor their feeding patterns at controlled temperatures. This data, compared to Dr. Shlichta’s data from 25 years ago, can be used to predict how other organisms may adapt to climate change in the future.