Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®
Articles 1 - 1 of 1
Full-Text Articles in Life Sciences
Where The Wild Things Are: Investigating Body Size As A Mechanism For Persistence, Meghan A. Balk
Where The Wild Things Are: Investigating Body Size As A Mechanism For Persistence, Meghan A. Balk
Biology ETDs
Body size is a trait under selection. Genetic drift, climate, diet quality, and biotic interactions all select upon body size at the population, species, and community levels. These factors can be important in the context of rapidly changing climate. One of the ways an animal can persist in its environment is through morphological adaptation in situ. Here, I investigate four questions relating to the evolution of body size: (1) what is the limit in body size change in response to climatic change; (2) how does body size influence the thermal tolerances of animals; (3) how does body size evolve …