Massive Carbon Release Shrinks Horses to Size of House Cats

[rdean]

As scientists continue developing climate change projection models, paleontologists studying an extreme short-term global warming event have discovered direct evidence about how mammals respond to rising temperatures. In a study appearing in Science February 24, 2012, researchers from eight institutions, led by scientists from the University of Florida and University of Nebraska, found a correlation between temperature and body size in mammals by following the evolution of the earliest horses about 56 million years ago: As temperatures increased, their body size decreased.
“Horses started out small, about the size of a small dog like a miniature schnauzer,” said co-author Jonathan Bloch, associate curator of vertebrate paleontology at the Florida Museum of Natural History on the UF campus. “What’s surprising is that, after they first appeared, they then became even smaller and then dramatically increased in size, and that exactly corresponds to the global warming event, followed by cooling. It had been known that mammals were small during that time and that it was warm, but we hadn’t understood that temperature specifically was driving the evolution of body size.”

“The PETM is really important, because it marks the beginning for the first appearance of several major groups of mammals, including crown-group primates (ancestors of modern primates) and the first even- and odd-toed modern ungulates (mammals with hooves),” Bloch said. “This sets the scene for the entire diversity of animals we see on the planet today.”

Funny how science supports science.

 

[whitehall]

And the point is? US decadent use of fossil fuels is causing mammals to shrink? Can you blame Bush for climate change that happened 56 million years ago?

 

[Mr. H.]

Giddyap

 

[whitehall]

Damn, it seems that Mr. H confirmed our worst fears.

 

[Baruch Menachem]

Weird sort of correlation. And not one I would have expected.

Following the same logic the mega dinosaurs were the result of an ice age.......

And that makes no sense at all.

 

[laughinReaper]

Giddyap

Well at least the horses pecker is still a decent size. Global warming does not cause shrinkage so all is right with the world!

 

[Mr. H.]

As scientists continue developing climate change projection models, paleontologists studying an extreme short-term global warming event have discovered direct evidence about how mammals respond to rising temperatures. In a study appearing in Science February 24, 2012, researchers from eight institutions, led by scientists from the University of Florida and University of Nebraska, found a correlation between temperature and body size in mammals by following the evolution of the earliest horses about 56 million years ago: As temperatures increased, their body size decreased.
“Horses started out small, about the size of a small dog like a miniature schnauzer,” said co-author Jonathan Bloch, associate curator of vertebrate paleontology at the Florida Museum of Natural History on the UF campus. “What’s surprising is that, after they first appeared, they then became even smaller and then dramatically increased in size, and that exactly corresponds to the global warming event, followed by cooling. It had been known that mammals were small during that time and that it was warm, but we hadn’t understood that temperature specifically was driving the evolution of body size.”

“The PETM is really important, because it marks the beginning for the first appearance of several major groups of mammals, including crown-group primates (ancestors of modern primates) and the first even- and odd-toed modern ungulates (mammals with hooves),” Bloch said. “This sets the scene for the entire diversity of animals we see on the planet today.”

Funny how science supports science.

The horse you rode in on just got smaller huh.

 

[CrusaderFrank]

As scientists continue developing climate change projection models, paleontologists studying an extreme short-term global warming event have discovered direct evidence about how mammals respond to rising temperatures. In a study appearing in Science February 24, 2012, researchers from eight institutions, led by scientists from the University of Florida and University of Nebraska, found a correlation between temperature and body size in mammals by following the evolution of the earliest horses about 56 million years ago: As temperatures increased, their body size decreased.
“Horses started out small, about the size of a small dog like a miniature schnauzer,” said co-author Jonathan Bloch, associate curator of vertebrate paleontology at the Florida Museum of Natural History on the UF campus. “What’s surprising is that, after they first appeared, they then became even smaller and then dramatically increased in size, and that exactly corresponds to the global warming event, followed by cooling. It had been known that mammals were small during that time and that it was warm, but we hadn’t understood that temperature specifically was driving the evolution of body size.”

“The PETM is really important, because it marks the beginning for the first appearance of several major groups of mammals, including crown-group primates (ancestors of modern primates) and the first even- and odd-toed modern ungulates (mammals with hooves),” Bloch said. “This sets the scene for the entire diversity of animals we see on the planet today.”

Funny how science supports science.

Yeah funny how OR links to AGW sites that talk of bigger squirrels from warming

Bigger

Smaller

All because of AGW

Amazing

 

[CrusaderFrank]

Its like saying that CO2 is both leaving the ocean in a "Feedback loop" and entering he ocean turning the water acidic

Entering

Leaving

At the same time

All because of AGW

 

[Quantum Windbag]

As scientists continue developing climate change projection models, paleontologists studying an extreme short-term global warming event have discovered direct evidence about how mammals respond to rising temperatures. In a study appearing in Science February 24, 2012, researchers from eight institutions, led by scientists from the University of Florida and University of Nebraska, found a correlation between temperature and body size in mammals by following the evolution of the earliest horses about 56 million years ago: As temperatures increased, their body size decreased.
“Horses started out small, about the size of a small dog like a miniature schnauzer,” said co-author Jonathan Bloch, associate curator of vertebrate paleontology at the Florida Museum of Natural History on the UF campus. “What’s surprising is that, after they first appeared, they then became even smaller and then dramatically increased in size, and that exactly corresponds to the global warming event, followed by cooling. It had been known that mammals were small during that time and that it was warm, but we hadn’t understood that temperature specifically was driving the evolution of body size.”

“The PETM is really important, because it marks the beginning for the first appearance of several major groups of mammals, including crown-group primates (ancestors of modern primates) and the first even- and odd-toed modern ungulates (mammals with hooves),” Bloch said. “This sets the scene for the entire diversity of animals we see on the planet today.”

Funny how science supports science.

Correlation is not causation.