A recent study shows that cold-blooded animals, known as ectotherms, struggle to adapt to daily temperature changes. This puts them at higher risk as climate change causes more temperature swings.
Ectotherms include most fish, reptiles, and invertebrates. They depend on their environment to regulate their body heat. Consequently, any temperature shifts can greatly affect them. Previously, scientists believed these animals could adjust their metabolism and even heart function to cope with changing temperatures.
However, research led by Dr. Daniel Gomez Isaza from the Harry Butler Institute tells another story. The team examined data from 26 studies to see how various ectotherms reacted to stable versus fluctuating temperatures.
Dr. Gomez Isaza shared that the team expected to find some signs of physiological adjustments in response to temperature changes. “Instead, we found the opposite,” he noted. They discovered that ectotherms did not consistently adapt their internal processes in reaction to daily temperature changes. This suggests they have limited capability or need for such adjustments.
Dr. Essie Rodgers, a co-author from Murdoch University, emphasized the long-term risks. “This inability to adjust may expose ectotherms to the unpredictable temperature fluctuations arising from climate change,” she explained. Without physiological adjustments, these animals might have to rely more on behavioral changes, like finding shade or cooler areas, to cope.
The long-term survival of ectotherms may depend more on genetic adaptation rather than on quick physiological changes. This concern grows as extreme temperature variations become more frequent.
For more details, you can read the study in Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B here.
