How climate change is forcing animals that mate for life to break up

Many animals enter long monogamous relationships to raise offspring, but we know they can split.New research suggests global warming may be to blame

To Jasmine Fox-Skelly

They seemed the perfect couple. Raised in the same neck of the woods, they went their separate ways in adolescence and reunited and hit it off. However, after years of being together, they seemed to be drifting apart.

This sad story may sound too familiar to many, but there is one important difference. The parties in this case are not human. they are birds

For years, behavioral biologists have recognized that some animals, particularly birds, choose to pair up over the years, often raising offspring together. Scientists generally dislike anthropomorphism, but even scientists sometimes can’t resist. That’s why the biological literature is flooded with studies analyzing what causes “divorce” in all kinds of animals, from albatrosses to penguins, beavers to seahorses.

Recently, as I learned more about this, a surprising conclusion came to me. Under the right circumstances, animal divorce can be a highly beneficial and evolved trait. In addition, the study identified a worrying new factor that may unexpectedly contribute to the sharp increase in the crisis caused by this type of divorce. , that is, climate change has also been identified.

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