World will shift to smaller animals over next century: Study

Smaller birds and mammals, which can thrive in a wide-variety of habitats, are more likely to avoid becoming extinct over next 100 years, scientists say.

Researchers at University of Southampton in UK predict a worldwide move towards smaller birds and mammals in next century.

In future, small, fast-lived, highly-fertile, insect-eating animals, which can thrive in a wide-variety of habitats, will predominate. 

se 'winners' include rodents, such as dwarf gerbil -- and songbirds, such as white-browed sparrow-weaver, y said.

Less aptable, slow-lived species, requiring specialist environmental conditions, will likely fall victim of extinction. se 'losers' include tawny eagle and black rhiceros.

study, published in journal Nature Communications, predict aver body mass of mammals specifically will collectively reduce by 25 per cent over next century. 

This decline represents a large, accelerated change when compared with 14 per cent body size reduction observed in species from 130,000 years ago until today.

"By far biggest threat to birds and mammals is humankind -- with habitats being destroyed due to our impact on planet, such as deforestation, hunting, intensive farming, urbanisation and effects of global warming," said Rob Cooke, a postgruate researcher at University of Southampton.

" substantial 'downsizing' of species which we forecast could incur furr negative impacts for long-term sustainability of ecology and evolution," said Cooke.

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"This downsizing may be happening due to effects of ecological change but, ironically, with loss of species which perform unique functions within our global ecosystem, it could also end up as a driver of change too," he said.

research team focussed on 15,484 living land mammals and birds and considered five characteristics that relate to role of each species in nature: body mass, litter/clutch size, breth of habitat, diet and length of time between generations. 

In dition, researchers used International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species to determine which animals are most likely to become extinct in next century. 

y used modern statistical tools to combine all this data to make ir projections and evaluate loss of biodiversity.

"We have demonstrated that projected loss of mammals and birds will t be ecologically random -- rar a selective process where certain creatures will be filtered out, depending on ir traits and vulnerability to ecological change," said Felix Eigenbrod, a professor at University of Southampton.

"Extinctions were previously viewed as tragic, deterministic inevitabilities, but y can also be seen as opportunities for targeted conservation actions," said Amanda Bates, Research Chair at Memorial University in Cana.

"As long as a species that is projected to become extinct persists, re is time for conservation action and we hope research such as ours can help guide this," Bates said. 

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