Moriarty Science Seminar: “Using the Past to Predict the Future: What Museum Specimens Can Tell Us About Ecological Responses to Anthropogenic Change”

R.W. Moriarty Science Seminar Presents: “Using the Past to Predict the Future: What Museum Specimens Can Tell Us About Ecological Responses to Anthropogenic Change“

Speaker: Jennifer Sheridan, Carnegie Museum of Natural History.

This event will take place Monday, February 27 at Noon both online and at Earth Theater.

Abstract: Animal body size dictates a host of life history features, including survival, competitive success, and reproductive output. As such, it can serve as a proxy for how these variables have changed over time, in response to factors such as climate and land use. Despite numerous examples of size declines related to increasing temperatures, patterns of size change are not universal, suggesting that one or more primary mechanisms impacting size change are unknown. In this talk, Dr. Sheridan will discuss the theoretical basis for how body size is expected to change under future climate warming, and share recent evidence for a crossover effect between temperature and precipitation. This recent work suggests a shift from amphibian size being driven by resource availability at cooler temperatures to desiccation resistance at warmer temperatures. Sheridan will also share current related research in the section, including work which incorporates land use change into body size models.

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