Climate Change and Shrinkage of Small Mammals: Are Rodents Smaller Than They Were 100 Years Ago?
Conference Year
2024
Abstract
If climate change is increasing national temperatures, then Bergmann’s rule reasons that it’s likely animals are shrinking in response. To test this hypothesis, I collected data for 4 different species using museum databases to compare rodent sizes within the past 100 years. I’ve found that the amount of change varies, but in states such as Colorado or California, rodents are significantly decreasing in size. Body size determines a lot of important characteristics for animals such as their lifespan, diet, and vulnerability to predation, so any changes in one species may lead to a cascade of effects for an entire ecosystem.
Primary Faculty Mentor Name
Sara Helms Cahan
Graduate Student Mentors
Brent Lockwood
Status
Undergraduate
Student College
College of Agriculture and Life Sciences
Second Student College
Patrick Leahy Honors College
Program/Major
Animal Science
Primary Research Category
Life Sciences
Climate Change and Shrinkage of Small Mammals: Are Rodents Smaller Than They Were 100 Years Ago?
If climate change is increasing national temperatures, then Bergmann’s rule reasons that it’s likely animals are shrinking in response. To test this hypothesis, I collected data for 4 different species using museum databases to compare rodent sizes within the past 100 years. I’ve found that the amount of change varies, but in states such as Colorado or California, rodents are significantly decreasing in size. Body size determines a lot of important characteristics for animals such as their lifespan, diet, and vulnerability to predation, so any changes in one species may lead to a cascade of effects for an entire ecosystem.