The change of climate has impacted with the rise and fall of six distinct and successive waves of mammal diversity in North America for the last 65 million years. A study reported with Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences shows that out of the six disctinct species, four had lead to major changes in our temperature. In two cases, species migrated due to warming and cooling changes.
“Although we’ve always known in a general way that mammals respond to climatic change over time, there has been controversy as to whether this can be demonstrated in a quantitative fashion,” says Christine Janis, a professor at Brown University where he teaches evolutionary biology
A study, led by postdoctoral scholar Borja Figueirido, asked whether there were any patterns within the species diversity that might be significant. Studies in the past show the potential connection between climate change and mammal species evolving.
They found six distinct groups of mammal species that share a common decline in their numbers. An example, the Paleocene fauna which was around 50 million years ago demostrated with temperature shifts, there were changes in the istopes found in the fossilized remains of deep sea microorganisms
By the numbers, studies showed correlations between species diversity and temperature change,but it also provided how the traits of typical species have evolved into species that are alive today. An example, 20 million years ago a dominant vegetation that transformed from woodland to a Savannah-like grassland.
Scientists understand that evolution amid climate changes and does not make specific predictions about the future. But it does show that the change in climate has had an impact for millions of years.
These climate changes are fighting with our current animal life all over the world. This shows us the significance that how foddil records affect the history of species extinction and the diversity and puts an importance on the future climactic changes influencing life on earth.
