Pollution-Driven Morphological Adaptations in Scorpions: Insights from Human-Dominated Landscapes

Pollution from human activities, such as industrialization and agriculture, has profound impacts on ecosystems and their inhabitants. This study investigates how environmental pollution influences morphological adaptations in scorpions, using them as bioindicators to assess ecological changes in human-dominated landscapes. Scorpions (Androctonus crassicauda; Buthidae family) were collected from regions in Isfahan Province, Iran, representing gradients of agricultural, urbanized, and industrialized areas. Morphological traits were measured and analyzed using multivariate statistical methods. Results revealed that over 70% of the variance in morphological traits was explained by a size gradient, with industrial pollution significantly associated with increased morphological variability (β= 0.176, t= 2.019, p= 0.030). In contrast, agricultural activities were linked to reduced morphological diversity (β= -0.09, t= -2.739, p= 0.007). These findings suggest that industrial pollution enhances morphological variability, likely through phenotypic plasticity in response to diverse stressors, while agricultural practices limit it, possibly due to environmental homogenization and pesticide pressures.