Climate change is shrinking sheep
According to a report from the BBC, climate change is driving a decrease in body size of wild sheep on a remote Scottish island.
Researchers found that the local environment had a stronger effect on the animals than the evolutionary pressure to grow larger.
In the past, only the big, healthy sheep and large lambs that had piled on weight in their first summer could survive the harsh winters said researchers.
Because of climate change, though, food (grass) is now available for more months of the year on the island. This makes survival easier, allowing slower growing sheep to make it through their first winter. This means smaller individuals are becoming increasingly prevalent in the population.
Researchers said that the effects of a warmer climate had overriden what they would expect through natural selection.
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Tagged with: Climate Change Effects • sheep
Filed under: Effects on Animals
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