Zoological Society of London: Extreme Climatic Conditions may Extinct Mammals

Scientists from Zoological Society of London (ZSL) warned that greater frequency of the extreme climatic conditions like droughts and cyclones pose a higher risk of extinction for the mammals. The scientists mapped out the population of land mammals and overlie this along with the information of the places where droughts as well as cyclones could occur. This enabled them to find out those species which had greater risk due to exposure to extreme climatic conditions.

The scientists through their study described the results of review of around 6000 species of the land mammals. It was established that around one-third of reviewed species had around a quarter of the range exposed to droughts, cyclones or combined climatic conditions. In case the species are highly susceptible to conditions like these, it would lead to increase in mammals who are threatened under category of climate change and severe weather by International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

The most highlighted species was the primates, which are already in the list of endangered mammals. More than 90 percent of Alouatta pigra or black howler monkey as well as Ateles geoffroyi yucatanensis or Yucatan spider monkey, which are known to be the habitats were damaged due to cyclones. Studies documented the methods in which they can adapt to effects of natural disasters like these.