Date: May 4, 2016
Source: BioMed Central
The oldest surviving species of
vertebrates, such as the cane toad and the California sea lion, which have
endured past extreme environmental events, will be more likely to adapt to
future climate changes than younger species, such as the European hamster,
according to a study published in the open access journal BMC Evolutionary
Biology. These species include those with various color morphs; those which
give birth to live young; and/or which live at low latitudes.
Researchers from the University
of Lausanne identified which factors render some species more vulnerable to
extinction than others, and found that there are large differences in the
ability of species to persist over evolutionary time scales. The researchers
believe that their findings will be useful for conservationists and help them
to predict which species are most at risk from climate change.
Dr. Sylvain Dubey, from
University of Lausanne, one of the authors, said: "We have provided a
complete picture of the factors shaping the resilience of species. Organisms
that have persisted for a long time, and have survived across a wide range of
environmental conditions, may be more likely to deal with future modifications
of their environment. A recently evolved taxon, in contrast, would not have
been tested to the same degree."
Dr Dubey added: "Looking at
the history of species survival will help us to predict which ones could be
better able to deal with current climate change and to better predict the
threat status of species on the red list of the International Union for
Conservation of Nature (IUCN)."
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