Climate Crisis Could Affect Growth. People May Even Shrink, Says A Fossil Expert

According to Professor Steve Brusatt, who works as a paleontologist at the University of Edinburgh, it is possible that as a result of the climate crisis, people will start to shrink over time. This is because smaller mammals are more capable of adapting to high temperatures, reports The Guardian.

He compared his idea of reducing human growth to the development of horses, which also shrunk about 55 million years ago as a result of warmer climate. In his book, Professor Brusatte noted that animals in warmer countries are often smaller than those in colder areas. "The reason is not entirely clear, but it may be partly because smaller animals dissipate excess heat better."

According to the professor, shrinking is "a natural way for mammals to cope with climate change." The question therefore remains whether humans will react in the same way as other mammals.

Researchers from Cambridge University have been working on the issue of downsizing some time ago, and their answers have been the same. The colder the climate, the bigger the mammals and vice versa. In addition, they found that climate change also affects the size of the human brain, which is also gradually shrinking.