Research and experiments conducted by scientists at the University of Oregon (USA) have confirmed that many animal species are undergoing genetic changes to adapt to global warming.
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The Earth is gradually warming |
Most genetic changes are aimed at coping with fluctuations in weather, such as the increase or decrease of seasons throughout the year. Smaller animal species like squirrels, certain birds, and insects have rapid reproductive capabilities that allow them to adapt to changing survival conditions. Meanwhile, larger animal species find it more challenging to undergo genetic changes to adapt to new living conditions.
Data collected over several decades indicate that climate change has led to heritable genetic changes in animal populations. Over the past 40 years, the accelerated pace of climate change has prompted many animal species to migrate towards warmer regions of the Earth, develop more quickly, and reproduce earlier.
However, scientists warn that these genetic changes are occurring only in response to seasonal variations, not due to higher temperatures in the summer. Therefore, if humanity does not make concerted efforts to mitigate the impacts of rapidly occurring climate change, the natural communities familiar to humans will gradually disappear.
N. QUÂN
