Our planets gene pool did not get here by not being nimble. Wash rinse & repeat many times over. Nothing is constant but change around these parts, if you look at it from a 100, thousands year view point and the changes are quickening.
I also noticed studies on insect ranges responding and moving with temperature within years, not decades. The poor starving polar bears numbers all seem to be up if you read many articles. https://www.climatedepot.com/2019/03/05 ... n-decades/
Dont get distracted from your core goal in life. Surviving. Back to the animals LOL=
Concluding remarks and future directions
Climate change is driving increased temperatures across the globe, and animals are responding in a myriad of ways. Morphological change is a hitherto underappreciated way in which animals are responding to increased thermoregulatory demands imposed by climatic warming, but we argue that there is evidence this is occurring on broad phylogenetic and geographic scales. With that in mind, it should be noted that the majority of findings focus on endotherms (particularly birds), with far less research available for other taxa. In order to better understand this phenomenon, research on shape-shifting needs to be complemented with studies on selection and genetic evolution. This is now eminently possible in wild populations, as increased heat waves and accompanied die-offs will affect the surviving phenotypes of the populations [11.
,90.
]. Furthermore, long-term data sets on animal populations can be used to analyse survival trends in relation to morphology and temperature, which would allow an increased understanding of the fitness and conservation consequences of morphological shifts. Changes in ambient temperature and Allen’s rule’s widespread occurrence in endotherms are likely to be critical in predicting shape-shifting; however, research on this is currently lacking. More widespread study on the link between Allen’s rule and shape-shifting is needed, and research on the temperature thresholds beyond which appendage size changes are apparent call for studies across wide geographic scales for diverse animals. As we reckon with the effects of current anthropogenic climate change, the capacity to predict the future is crucial. In order to do this, continued study that combines multiple information sources, such as long-term field data, analysis of museum specimens, molecular data, and temporal trends, needs to be prioritised (see Outstanding questions).
Outstanding questions
How widespread is morphological change in animals in relation to climate change?
What are the strongest determinants in whether an animal will ‘shape-shift’ or not?
To what extent are observed changes in appendage size genetic in basis versus plastic responses to environment?
How can shape-shifting influence the use of evaporative heat loss, especially in hot, arid environments where dehydration risk is common?
Is there a relationship between a change in appendage size and fitness? If so, how can tracking morphological change be informative for conservation efforts?
How do differing thermal tolerances and thermal physiology influence shape-shifting morphologies?
https://www.cell.com/trends/ecology-evolution/