Dec. 4, 2008 -- Turtles are notoriously slow, but their behavior is changing fast in response to climate change. From Nebraska to South Carolina, turtles are nesting up to three weeks earlier in the springtime, according to long-term data from several research groups. The implications of the shift are reverberating through the ecosystem in surprising ways -- leading to overpopulation in some places and a skewed sex ratio in others. Those changes could spell trouble for the entire food chain. "If [the trend] continues, it's just going to get ugly," said Fred Janzen, an evolutionary biologist at Iowa State University in Ames. "I'm definitely concerned." Janzen has been tracking painted and snapping turtles along the Mississippi River between Iowa and Illinois for more than two decades. Year after year, he used to watch as turtle moms started building nests around June 1. Then, in the late 1990s, females began to lay their eggs about a week earlier. Related Content: Project Earth: Animals Discovery News Blog: Born Animal Solved: How the Turtle Got Its Shell "I thought, 'Wow, that's early,'" said Janzen. "This was really a change. And it kind of stayed that way. For almost a decade, it's been getting earlier and earlier." Climate records show that winters in the area have grown substantially warmer during the same time period -- by about 4 degrees Fahrenheit. Last year was the only exception: Temperatures were exceptionally cold, and turtles nested later than they had during the past decade. Until now, scientists didn't know what determines when turtles build their nests. Janzen's data have not yet been published, but other work supports his conclusions that warmer weather is causing turtles to nest earlier. Get More NewsMouse Cloned From Long-Frozen CellResearchers create a mouse from a long-frozen cell. Will the mammoth be next?'Bubble' Could Protect AstronautsScientists say a "bubble" around a Mars-bound spaceship could protect astronauts.Big Reduction of Snowmobiles in Yellowstone ProposedA new plan would cut snowmobile use by 40 percent in Yellowstone.Microbes: Fuel of the Future?A reddish South American microbe is literally breathing fuel, say scientists.DNA Links Remains to Steve FossetDNA tests on two bones found in California confirm they are those of Steve Fossett.Women Carry More Bacteria Than MenSome bacteria prefer women, suggests a new study. But why?Ancient 'Water Monster' Facing ExtinctionA foot-long salamander that was a key part of Aztec legend is threatened by extinction.Grand Canyon's Youth ConfirmedThe Grand Canyon is millions of years younger than previously thought, argue geologists.My Take: E-Voting Not User FriendlyOpinion: Electronic voting machines don't always capture the intent of voters.SLIDE SHOW: Landscapes of TerrorWhat makes a place feel scary? There are scientific explanations.At 40, Brain and Body SlowThe part of the brain in charge of motion starts a gradual slide in middle age.Spiders, Scorpions Among World's Oldest CreaturesMany creepy crawlies have been on Earth much longer than previously believed.Blood-Sucking Vampire Bats Sing DuetsWhite-winged vampire bats "harmonize" with separated roost mates. |
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