The diversity of species in warm regions at the highest – this rule is reefs through the luxuriant life in tropical coral reefs, or rain forests, is confirmed. Two groups of animals not hold, however, because: mammals and birds. A number of species of seals and whales, penguins and Auks live in the icy waters of the Northern and southern polar circle, while in the warmer seas rar. Now John Grady from Michigan State University in East Lansing (USA) and his colleagues, the cause of these types of rules of distribution of illegal investigated. They examined 998 species of marine mammals and birds as well as sharks, large bony fishes, and sea snakes, and found that birds and mammals in cold waters are so rich in species because they have a decisive advantage: you can keep your body temperature evenly warm, and are therefore more agile than the exchange of warm competition, such as fish, the researchers write in the journal “Science”.
birds and mammals take advantage of a basic principle: With increasing temperatures, biomolecules, react faster and work enzymes better muscles contract faster and allow for quicker movements. Since the nervous system runs on higher tours, the tours can respond to warmer animals faster. Mammals and birds have good reasons to keep your body active and warm.
Grönlandhaie run on a shoestring
most of The other animals to regulate their heat balance through their behaviour: to come up to operating temperature, basking lizards and snakes in the morning thoroughly before you go hunting. In tropical climes, the water heats up the organism of fish or sea turtles.
in Contrast, the organism of the fish remains in the cold Arctic sea cool, the animals are allowed to move rather sluggish. Unlike their relatives in the tropics Grönlandhaie therefore swim leisurely through the North polar sea and catch so, at best, asleep, or dead seals. “This lifestyle certainly has its benefits,” says Timo Moritz, curator for fishes at the German marine Museum in Stralsund. At low temperatures, the body of the course on the back burner. Grönlandhaie need so little energy that they get along for months without a meal. “Grönlandhaie can be with this leisureliness, some centuries old, and turn out as a success model of Evolution,” says Moritz.
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we need to heat up The body a lot of energy
mammals and birds, however, a large part of their energy reserves to heat your body and keep it at a constant operating temperature. This investment pays for itself in cold water two seals, or sea birds have a good chance to escape the sluggish cold robbers, on the other, they catch plenty of species with a leisurely life style, such as fish or squid. In tropical waters, however, the body heating effect as an advantage over the cold-blooded competition, which may be due to the higher outdoor temperature is also very agile.
For the built-in air conditioning, whales, seals and penguins pay a high price. “You need a lot of prey to keep their high body temperature,” says Moritz. Small body lose a relatively large amount of this heat through the relatively large surface area, are in the cold sea large mammals and birds have a clear advantage. Paid for both properties with a lot of energy. “The life in the sea-adapted mammals and birds, especially in nutrient waters, where abundant prey is swimming,” says Moritz.
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This also means: If, as the IPCC is concerned that the temperatures rise by the year 2100 by two to three degrees Celsius, will decrease nutrient content and food supply in these waters. There is already a degree higher temperatures are likely to reduce the frequency of seal 24 percent, Grady and colleagues.