Mass extinction resulting in an at least temporary decline in their standing biodiversity. Mass extinctions refers to any substantial increase in the amount of extinction suffered by more than one geographically widespread higher taxon during a short interval of geologic time. Background extinction rateīackground extinction rate or normal extinction rate is the number of species that expected to go extinct over a period of time based on non-human factors. An example is the loss of interacting species such as herbivores with their food source and predators with their prey. CoextinctionĬoextinction is the loss of a species as a consequence of the extinction of another species. ExtinctionĮxtinction is an irreversible process whereby a species or a distinct biological population ceases to exist forever. Historic range refers to the geographic areas a species was known or believed to occupy in the past. Habitat refers to the location where a particular plant or animal lives, the surrounding (living and nonliving) and environmental conditions (air, water, soil, temperature, etc.) Historic range EcosystemĮcosystem refers to the complex relation of plant and animal communities and their environment. Louis studying climate change and conservation biology with a focus on tropical climates.Biodiversity refers to the variety of living organisms, the genetic differences among them, and the ecosystems in which they occur. James Stroud is a postdoctoral research associate at Washington University in St. This research highlights the adaptation of animal species to their changing climate and suggests that many species may be more resilient than was previously understood.ĭr. Lizards that are able to withstand colder temperatures are less at risk from predation and are consequently more likely to pass on their genes to the next generation. This shift in thermal threshold is theorized to be a product of natural selection driven by climate change. On average, the different lizards species were able to withstand a temperature of around 5.5 ℃. Across all tested species, the lizards could withstand temperatures 1 to 4 ℃ colder than previously thought before becoming immobilized. The lizards were placed in the ice and their temperature was continually measured until they entered their characteristic stunned state of muscle immobilization. The lizards’ cold temperature tolerance was tested using a thermometer and an ice cooler. James Stroud and his colleagues collected lizard specimens of various species from around the Miami area. However, new research has revealed a lower temperature tolerance than previously thought across all lizard species in Miami, Florida. They often lose their grip on trees and fall stunned to the ground, making them vulnerable to predators. When the air temperature becomes too cold, lizards become immobilized. Lizards, like other reptile species, are unable to regulate their own body temperature, which changes with air temperature. This could potentially pose many challenges for wild animal populations. In particular, tropical lizard species were initially thought to be at high risk due to these weather fluctuations, especially the cold winters. These events, such as cold spells, tropical storms, and heat waves, disrupt local weather patterns, making winter seasons colder and summer seasons warmer than average. Climate change is often framed as “global warming,” a continual increase in the Earth’s surface temperature, but additional effects include extreme weather events.
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