In yet another story on the horrifics of global warming, researchers have found Scotland's wild Soay sheep have been getting smaller for the last 25 years despite the evolutionary benefits of having a large body. Arpat Ozgul at Imperial College London in Berkshire and colleagues analyzed body-weight measurements and life-history data for the female members of a population of Soay sheep. The sheep live on the island of Hirta in the St. Kilda archipelago and have been studied closely since 1985.
To quote Tim Coulson on MSNBC "Our findings have solved a paradox that has tormented biologists for years — why predictions did not match observation. Biologists have realized that ecological and evolutionary processes are intricately intertwined, and they now have a way of dissecting out the contribution of each. Unfortunately it is too early to tell whether a warming world will lead to pocket-sized sheep."
The Insomniac wonders if smaller female sheep are just more attractive to the male sheep. Do you suppose the eco-nazis are pulling the wool over our eyes?
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