AN ECOLOGICAL THEATRE FOR STUDYING EVOLUTION AND CLIMATE IN ACTION
I ndia is a home of extraordinary climatic variations, ranging from tropical (central plains and coastal) in the south to temperate in the north (Himalayas). Higher altitudes in the North receive ample winter snowfall (trans Himalayan regions of Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, and Jammu & Kashmir), the Thar Desert in the west boils to 50°C in the summer (places like Phalodi ) and drops to -2°C (places like Churu ) during winter. The long coastal line has higher humidity. The monsoon works as a catalyst in the system. It rejuvenates life back on track after a long and stressful summer across the subcontinent. India’s climate is strongly dictated by the Himalayas and the Thar Desert. Life interacts with the environment, and sometimes it unfolds in a graded fashion. In scientific terms, graded variations in traits are known as ‘ clines ’. These clines could be along long geographical ranges, including latitudinal and altitudinal variations. Clines are also good proxies for uneven...