Climate Change and Its Impact on Animal Physiology, Distribution, and Evolution: Mechanisms, Adaptations, and Future Perspectives
Keywords:
Animal physiology, Species distribution, Phenotypic plasticity, Conservation biologyAbstract
Climate change is one of the most important drivers of biodiversity loss and ecosystem transformation in the twenty-first century and has a profound impact on physiology, geographic distribution and evolution of animal species in terrestrial, freshwater and marine settings. Global warming and altered precipitation, increased frequency of extreme weather events, ocean acidification, habitat fragmentation and changing biotic interactions are all altering environmental conditions at an unprecedented rate. Animals respond to these changes through physiological adaptations, behavioral adaptations, phenotypic plasticity and evolution, but the degree of responses varies by species, ecology and region. The physiology of animals changes metabolism, thermoregulation, osmoregulation, endocrine signaling, immune function, oxidative stress and reproductive performance, and all these affect survival and fitness. Climate-induced changes in species distribution, including poleward and elevation range expansion, contractions and migration patterns, are also altering ecology and species interactions. At an evolutionary level, climate change is a powerful selective force that leads to rapid adaptation, phenotypic changes, genetic diversity and in some cases evolutionary rescue or increased extinction risk. Recent progress in genomics, transcriptomics, environmental DNA (eDNA), remote sensing, artificial intelligence and species distribution modeling has drastically improved our understanding of how animals adapt to changing climates and can predict future biodiversity scenarios. This review synthesizes existing knowledge on the physiological, ecological and evolutionary effects of climate change in animals from molecular biology, ecology, evolutionary biology and conservation science. It also highlights new technologies and gaps in knowledge and provides tips for conservation efforts that can help in the future to support the resilience of species in changing climate. With a multi-disciplinary approach and research in biodiversity conservation and ecosystem management in the Anthropocene, this review can further contribute to a deeper understanding of how climate change is changing animal life and will be helpful for future research.
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