Some species may be better able to withstand climate change than was previously thought.
Some species may be better able to withstand climate change than was previously thought. That’s because these species have changed little since the last warm period on Earth.
By the end of this century, the planet is expected to be around as warm as it was 130,000 years ago. Species that arose during this time would be able to withstand a hotter climate, scientists say. This is particularly relevant in the tropics, where heat is reaching new extremes.
Warming will diminish the variety of plants and animals residing in tropical lands, but by how much? Past research suggests these areas will see, on average, a 54 percent drop in the number of resident species. But a new modeling study, published in Nature Ecology and Evolution, puts that figure at 39 percent.
Read more at Yale Environment 360
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