SYDNEY, March 20 (Xinhua) -- Cold-blooded animals may struggle to cope with climate change as new research shows they cannot physiologically adjust to daily temperature swings, posing a long-term threat.
A study of Australia's Murdoch University found no evidence that ectotherms, which includes almost all fish, reptiles, and invertebrates, adjust physiological factors to stabilize their functions in fluctuating conditions, a university statement said Friday.
"By analyzing metabolic, locomotor, cardiovascular and enzyme activity across a wide range of ectotherms, we expected to see signs that these animals adjust their physiology to become less sensitive to daily temperature change," said Daniel Gomez Isaza from Murdoch University's Harry Butler Institute, who led the study.
"Instead, we found the opposite," Gomez Isaza said, adding they show limited capacity to regulate their internal physiology to cope with short-term environmental fluctuations.
The team combined data from 26 studies comparing species performance under constant versus variable temperatures, with findings published in the journal Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B.
Co-author Essie Rodgers, lecturer at Murdoch University, said as temperature variability increases with climate change, ectotherms will likely rely more on behavioral strategies, such as seeking shade or cooler microhabitats, or long-term genetic adaptation to survive. ■
