Warm-Blooded Creatures Evolve as the Earth Gets Hotter; Study Reveals How Climate Change Causes Animals to Shift Shape, Size

A new study found that as the planet gets hotter, a lot of warm-blooded creatures are developing larger beaks, legs, and ears to enable them to better control their body temperature.

A Mail Online report specified that appendages such as birds' beaks and mammalian ears can be used to disperse excess body heat to be larger when the climate is warmer.

Experts led by Australia-based Deakin University reviewed previous studies into different species that are changing shape, discovering that climate change may be the reason for such a shift.

The researchers discovered evidence of shifts in appendage sizes of a maximum of 10 percent, a number expected to continue growing as the Earth gets warmer.

ALSO READ: Origins of Hobbit Species Could Be Traced Back To Denisovans and Neanderthals

'Shapeshift' Due to Climate Change

According to ecologist and author of the paper, Sara Ryding of Deakin University, when climate change is a topic of discussion in mainstream media, people ask if humans can overcome this, or what particular technology can deal with this.

She added that it's high time that animals be recognized, those that need to adapt to such changes, although this is occurring over a far shorter timeframe than what would have taken place through most of the evolutionary time.

The author said, the climate change humans have created is collecting an entire pressure on them, and while some species will adjust, others won't.

In the study, Shape-shifting: changing animal morphologies as a response to climatic warming, published in Trends in Ecology & Evolution, Ryding and colleagues reviewed research into shape sifts observed in different species from Australian Parrots and Chinese bats "to common swine and rabbits," searching for evidence that climate change might indeed be causing the said changes.

'Shapeshifting'

The scientists noted that the changes are taking place across a great range of species from diverse geographical areas, making it difficult to determine any common probable cause beyond that of climate change.

At the same time though, the multifaceted and developing nature of the effects of climate change makes it hard as well, to pinpoint just one particular trigger for the shapeshifting.

Particularly strong shapeshifting examples have been reported in birds as well, noted the study investigators.

Australian parrot species for instance, as described in Australia's Wonderful Birds website, have shown an average increase in bill size of roughly four to 10 percent since 1871, a growth that is favorably associated with such shifts in the average summer temperature every year.

In the meantime, dark-eyed juncos, a kind of small sparrow that exists in North America, were discovered to have larger bill sizes in connection to short-term temperature extremes in their usually cold habitats.

Australian Birds Studied

Ryding explained, the growth in appendage size they see thus far, is quite tiny at less than 10 percent. Therefore, the changes are possible to be instantly noticeable.

Nevertheless, protruding appendages like ears are predicted to grow, therefore, the study author elaborated, "we might end up with a live-action Dumbo," in the near future.

She also cautioned, shapeshifting does not mean animals are adjusting to climate change "and that's all certainly fine."

It only means, she continued, they evolve to survive it, although they are uncertain what the other ecological impacts of such changes are, or indeed that all species can change and survive.

With the completion of their initial study, the study authors are currently looking to examine shape changes in Australian birds directly through 3D scans of museum samples that were retrieved over the past century.

The researchers also explained this will allow them to tell which birds change appendage sizes because of climate change, and the reason for such.

Related information about shapeshift driven by climate change is shown by The Pada Pada's YouTube video below: