<
https://theconversation.com/we-know-heatwaves-kill-animals-but-new-research-shows-the-survivors-dont-get-off-scot-free-184645>
"Extreme heat waves can cause birds and mammals to die en masse. But it’s more
common for an animal to experience relatively mild heat stress that doesn’t
kill it. Our new findings suggest that unfortunately, these individuals can
suffer long-term health damage.
Our study, published today, describes how exposure to hot and dry conditions
can damage the DNA of nestling birds in their first few days of life. This can
mean they age earlier, die younger and produce less offspring.
We focused on a population of purple-crowned fairy-wrens – a small endangered
songbird from Northern Australia.
The findings suggest unless the wrens can adapt rapidly to climate warming,
their populations may struggle to survive as global temperatures rise. It’s
vital we consider such subtle and otherwise hidden impacts when predicting how
biodiversity will fare in a warmer world."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
