Why Some Animals Are Shrinking
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Provided by: Vox|Published on: April 27, 2021
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Scientist Reviewed This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Learn about our review process →
Synopsis
- This video provides evidence to show that animals are shrinking in a warmer climate. Evidence includes graphs and pictures with changes in bird size over the past 40 years and references to articles that discuss shrinking amphibians and mammals.
- The video also describes the consequences of changing animal sizes. Animals may not be able to migrate as far, they may have fewer offspring, and there can be major ecological consequences as interspecific relationships change.
- While not all animals may shrink, and some may even grow large, the physiology, ecology, and consequences of these changes is examined and explained. The mechanisms of selection pressure and developmental plasticity are explained.
Subjects: Biology
Authors: Vox
Region: Global
Languages: English
Teaching Materials
Positives
- The video is concise and provides evidence and great visuals for an interesting consequence of a warming climate to animals.
- The video provides an excellent background for individuals who would like to broadly study climate change consequences to animals.
Prerequisites
- Students should be familiar with the concepts of climate change, adaptation, and natural selection.
Differentiation & Implementation
- Extra attention may need to be spent in explaining the difference in developmental plasticity and adaptation via natural selection.
- Consider having students choose an animal that was listed in the video and research any changes they may be experiencing due to climate change.
This resource is a 5-minute video that looks at a recently discovered phenomenon - many animal species are shrinking in size - and examines some potential causes. The primary driver seems to be increasing temperatures due to climate change, which plays out differently in birds and mammals than it does for amphibians. This resource is recommended for teaching.
Teaching Tips
Standards
Resource Type and Format
Scientist Reviewed
This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Our review process ensures that every resource in our library reflects the current state of climate science.
Learn about our review process →
