Adaptive differentiation of thermotolerance in Drosophila along a microclimatic gradient

A study examines whether the physiological evolution of two Drosophila melanogaster populations on opposite slopes of Lower Nahal Oren, Mt. Carmel, Israel, despite a spatial separation of only 100-400 meters, was idiosyncratic and temporary, or persisted over multiple years. Results show that interpopulation differences in thermotolerance were stable despite year-to-year and seasonal variation in environmental conditions and potential inter-slope migration.