Climate change is a global process that, in addition to testing our ability to adapt, can cause alterations in the natural selection of organisms, as suggested by a study published in the journal »Science».
And, although it is curious, these changes are not guided by the increase in temperatures, but by rainfall, which will be more frequent in some areas than in others.
The scientists studied and analyzed a huge database of different populations of animals, plants and other organisms, as well as their ability to survive and reproduce, that have been collected in recent decades. In this way, they have been able to find out that one of the aspects linked to the climate that is affecting them the most is the pattern of droughts and rainfall.
»Climate change increases the frequency of droughts and rainfall events. Some areas are getting drier and others wetter, "said Adam Siepielski, a researcher at the University of Arkansas (United States) and one of the study's authors. According to him, These variations can affect the modifications that organisms can undergo as a result of their natural evolution.
It is important to know the effects that climate change will have on different organisms and on their evolution, since it is the only way for researchers to find out what to do to find out which species will adapt and how they will be able to do so. In this sense, Siepielski warned that it is not known if the different organisms will be able to adapt. "The evolutionary answer is not yet clear, but the results suggest that climate change has the potential to alter adaptation worldwide."
If you thought that many species of animals and plants will not be able to withstand the changes that are taking place, it is increasingly likely that you are right.
You can read the study here (In English).