How is Global Warming Affecting the Creation of New Animal Species?
Student’s Name: Alexander Del Nogal.
Supervisor’s Name: Mr. Patrick
Word Count:
November, 11, 2014.
Abstract
This essay evaluates the effect of global warming on speciation, the emergence of new biological species over time. It seeks to examine the extent to which climate change influences occurrence of animal species in their natural ecosystems. Global warming in this essay is synonymous to climate change.
The research questions are: What climate change perspectives affect speciation? Are there other factors affecting speciation apart from global warming? What are the positive and negative impacts of speciation to ecosystems?
In the essay, data from secondary
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The original pine moths could not survive at temperatures beyond 320c but the new species survived even at 360c. This shows how climate change can drive speciation for survival. A new pine moth population tolerant to high temperatures evolved as a result of its life cycle shift different from the original species. The new moth underwent an adaptive/ sympatry speciation. Even without moving to new habitats, climate change can influence emergence of adaptive traits in new species. The impact of global on creation of new species cannot therefore be …show more content…
There are arguments that climate change is more beneficial than it is detrimental to speciation. Increase in temperatures may actually improve population of species influenced by thermodynamics (Ording, 6) such as insects and birds, leading to more genetic diversity. As the planet gets warmer, insect species can thrive and are able to migrate to favorable environments, enhancing their reproduction. (Dvosky, 7). Global warming would be beneficial for the warm weather animals since logically the earth is going to get warmer and the animals are most likely to adapt better to the changes. In fact, Shane Right, a biologist at the University of Auckland states that species evolve faster in tropical zones compared to those in temperate areas. Squids are a good example because they reproduce more often in warm weather. Therefore, as their population becomes larger there is greater genetic diversity. Eventually, genetic mutations show up in the next generation producing such unique species that will become completely different from the parent organisms (Phillips, Jen). Phillips mentions that every time climate changes animal species follow a path to adapt to the climate they want to be in. At times some of animals in the community are left behind as not all of them are able to migrate or survive new ecological conditions. Ultimately the populations start to