Climate change is causing some animals to change their morphology, acquiring larger beaks or ears, in order to better adapt and regulate their bodies to the rising temperature of the planet, according to a study published this Wednesday.
The study, published in Trends in Ecology and Evolution, was conducted by researchers at Deakin University in Victoria, Australia.
“It’s time to acknowledge that animals also have to adapt to these changes, but this is happening in a shorter period of time than evolutionarily anticipated,” said lead researcher Sarah Riding.
In particular, the study highlights changes in birds.
Australian parrot registered enlargement of the beak 4 to 10% since 1871, as well as the dark-eyed reeds (small songbird) of North America, which also have grown beaks. In addition to the evolution of bird beaks, tree rats have also shown enlargement of tails and the shrews in masks leg growth.
To understand morphological changes in animals, Sarah Riding analyzed specimens from Australian bird museums over the past 100 years. However, the researcher warned that changes in the structure of the species do not mean that “everything is in order.”
“[A mudança] this means that they are evolving to survive climate change, but we do not know other ecological consequences of these changes and whether all species are actually able to survive and survive, ”he argued.
