https://www.vox.com/2021/8/12/22620832/shrinking-animals-birds
Birds, mammals, and fish are miniaturizing as temperatures rise. Why?ByChristophe HaubursinAug 12, 2021, 11:30am EDT
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Animals all across the world are undergoing a strange transformation. In Appalachia,salamander body sizeshave decreased by 8 percent since 1960,menhaden fishcaught in the Atlantic are 15 percent lighter than they were in 1987, andbird specimensat Chicago’s Field Museum have lost up to 4 percent of their body mass since collection began in the late 1970s.
Agrowing body of evidencesuggests these changes are the product of global warming: As average temperatures rise, smaller bodies make it easier for warm-blooded animals to stay cool; for cold-blooded animals, warming temperatures speed up metabolism and stunt their growth.
These changes might appear relatively small, but they can…
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