Can animals evolve to deal with climate change?

As climate change brings rising temperatures, droughts and
shifting patterns of rainfall, animals are adapting to keep pace.
Bird’s bodies are growing smaller, their wingspan longer, lizards
are growing larger thumb pads to help them grip more tightly in
hurricane strength winds, beak size is changing. We visit the
Galapagos, where evolution was first discovered by Charles
Darwin, and investigate the many ways animals are adapting their
behaviour and physiology to survive the impact of climate change.
Changes to climate are also influencing animals’ genetics,
meaning that we are seeing species evolve within our own
lifetime. However, most animals won’t be able to adapt quickly
enough to cope with the speed they need to in order to survive in
a warming world. Presenters Jordan Dunbar and Kate Lamble look at
what role evolution plays in helping animals adapt to climate
change. Contributors: Kiyoko Gotanda, Assistant Professor at
Brock University Ramiro Tomala, Expedition leader, Metropolitan
Touring in the Galapagos Thor Hanson, conservationist and author
of Hurricane Lizards and Plastic Squid Anne Charmantier, Director
of Research at Centre d’Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Evolutive
(CEFE), Montpellier With thanks to research carried out by Colin
Donihue of Institute at Brown for Environment and Society.
Producer: Dearbhail Starr Reporter: Mark Stratton Series
Producer: Alex Lewis Editor: Nicola Addyman Production
Coordinators: Sophie Hill and Siobhan Reed Sound Engineer: Tom
Brignell