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Climate change is associated with the increase in both the mean and variability of thermal conditions. Therefore, the use of more realistic fluctuating thermal regimes is the most appropriate laboratory method for predicting population responses to thermal heterogeneity. However, the long- and short-term implications of evolving under such conditions are not well understood. Here, we examined differences in key life-history traits among populations of seed beetles (Callosobruchus maculatus) that evolved under either constant control conditions or in an environment with fluctuating daily temperatures. Specifically, individuals from two distinct genetic backgrounds were kept for 19 generations at one of two temperatures, a constant temperature (T  = 29 °C) or a fluctuating daily cycle (T mean = 33 °C, T max = 40 °C, and T min = 26 °C), and were assayed either in their evolved environment or in the other environment. We found that beetles that evolved in fluctuating environments but were then switched to constant 29 °C conditions had far greater lifetime reproductive success compared with beetles that were kept in their evolved environments. This increase in reproductive success suggests that beetles raised in fluctuating environments may have evolved greater thermal breadth than control condition beetles. In addition, the degree of sexual dimorphism in body size and development varied as a function of genetic background, evolved thermal environment, and current temperature conditions. These results not only highlight the value of incorporating diel fluctuations into climate research but also suggest that populations that experience variability in temperature may be better able to respond to both short- and long-term changes in environmental conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Studies suggest the inter-rater reliability of judges at wine competitions is higher than what would be expected by random chance, but lower than what is observed when experts in other fields make judgments specific to their expertise. To further contextualize the (un-) reliability of wine judging while also extending the study of fine water, we examine the inter-rater reliability of judges at an annual international competition for bottled waters. We find that the inter-rater reliability of water judging is generally better than chance and, at best, about the same as the inter-rater reliability of wine judging at some wine competitions. These results suggest that perceptible differences between fine waters exist but are less pronounced than those between fine wines and, also, that aesthetic standards with respect to fine waters exist but are currently less established than those for fine wines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Human‐induced environmental change can influence populations both at the global level through climatic warming and at the local level through habitat fragmentation. As populations become more isolated, they can suffer from high levels of inbreeding, which contributes to a reduction in fitness, termed inbreeding depression. However, it is still unclear if this increase in homozygosity also results in a corresponding increase in sensitivity to stressful conditions, which could intensify the already detrimental effects of environmental warming. Here, in a fully factorial design, we assessed the life‐long impact of increased inbreeding load and elevated temperature on key life history traits in the seed beetle, Callosobruchus maculatus. We found that beetles raised at higher temperatures had far reduced fitness and survival than beetles from control temperatures. Importantly, these negative effects were exacerbated in inbred beetles as a result of increased inbreeding load, with further detrimental effects manifesting on individual eclosion probability and lifetime reproductive success. These results reveal the harmful impact that increasing temperature and likelihood of habitat fragmentation due to anthropogenetic changes in environmental conditions could have on populations of organisms worldwide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]