PhD defence Joe Churchill
Joe Churchill (BPE)
Promotores: Prof. J. Komdeur, Prof. R.A. Vásquez Salfate (University of Chile)
Fledging in a changing climate
The delayed effects of climate on embryonic and nestling development in the thorn-tailed rayadito in Patagonia
Climate change has a strong negative impact on the animal species of our planet by altering the fundamental conditions in which these species thrive. It is of great importance to investigate how animals adapt to the challenges of climate change. Evolutionary adaptations in animals require changes within the animal's genetics over multiple generations, which makes these adaptations relatively slow. Within a single generation, animals can adapt to a small extent through phenotypic plasticity in response to the environment. However, these adaptations cannot keep up with rapidly changing environmental conditions. Identifying these adaptations will enable us to better understand the impact of climate change on the species on our planet. The effects of climate change on animals can be direct: the temperature surrounding the eggs of sea turtles (Chelonioidea) determines whether the aftercooling offspring are male or female. Climate change can therefore alter the male:female ratio. Conversely, the effects of climate change can also be indirect: birds adjust their breeding timing to their food peaks, which depend on the climate. A temperature change causes a shift in the food peak, which birds may miss. Changes in climate can also have a delayed effect on bird development. For example, if bird eggs are exposed to fluctuating temperatures during incubation, this hinders their development into chicks. The later effects of climate on offspring development have not yet been sufficiently studied and form the main subject of my dissertation.