A new study revealed that around 40% of small mammal species analyzed worldwide are associated with a specific climate zone. The research was based on the analysis of more than 4,200 species and reinforces that these animals are closely tied to climate and environmental conditions, being particularly sensitive to their changes.
Diversification in small mammals is associated with climate specialization, while the accumulation of species reflects evolutionary time. This means that, throughout evolution, many of these species developed specific adaptations to the climate conditions of their regions.
The analysis included researcher Neftalí Sillero from the Faculty of Sciences at the University of Porto (FCUP). The idea for this research came precisely from a frequent observation about small mammals: the fact that they are animals very sensitive to climate conditions.
