The Cause of Shapeshifting Animals

Climate change is not a far-off threat, it is here right now and we must all adapt. Recent research shows that warm-blooded animals are adapting, and shape-shifting in surprising ways. The regulation of body temperature will be paramount to success and so, increasing the size of ears, legs, and beaks are just some noted ways that adaptation is occurring. Evolution takes a long time but due to human ignorance, there is the need to change quickly. Some species will adapt but it is likely that many will not.

There are complex issues for this fast-paced evolutionary process. Birds have been identified as particular shapeshifters and researchers confirmed that beak sizes increased in the Australian parrots studied – with a 4%-10% change since 1871. Tail length increase has been established in wood mice and in masked shrews, both leg and tail sizes increased.

It is important to note that these relatively-quick adaptations do not guarantee that a species will survive. The best way to help protect nature and people is to prevent the most serious risks of the climate emergency.

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More information can be found here:

Cell Press. “The warming climate is causing animals to ‘shapeshift’.” ScienceDaily. www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/09/210907110718.htm (accessed September 12, 2021).