Climate change study puts expiration date on all mammals

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Study reveals formation of massive, ultra-hot and largely uninhabitable supercontinent called Pangea Ultima

Vishwam Sankaran

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Unprecedented global warming will wipe out all mammals during a mass extinction event in about 250 million years, according to a new study.

The world’s continents are predicted to eventually merge once again to form an ultra-hot, dry and largely uninhabitable supercontinent called Pangea Ultima, said the climate change research, published on Monday in the journal Nature Geoscience .

Climate change that takes place over millennia differs from the man-made climate crisis which has been largely caused by the burning of fossil fuels.

Supercomputer simulations of the distant future were used by scientists that included those from the University of Bristol to project how global temperatures are set to further increase as the sun becomes brighter and emits more energy.

The movement of the Earth’s tectonic plates is also expected to result in the formation of another supercontinent, which could spark more frequent volcanic eruptions to produce huge releases of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, further warming the planet, researchers said.

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Until now, mammals – including humans – have managed to survive on Earth thanks to their ability to adjust to weather extremes via adaptations such as fur and hibernating in the cold as well as short spells of hibernation.

While mammals have adapted to survive cold temperatures, their upper-temperature tolerance has remained constant over the millions of years of their evolution.

Thus, prolonged excessive heat as predicted by the simulation is much harder to overcome, making the Earth ultimately unsurvivable for mammals.

“The newly emerged supercontinent would effectively create a triple whammy, comprising the continentality effect, hotter sun and more CO 2 in the atmosphere, of increasing heat for much of the planet,” said the study’s lead author Alexander Farnsworth from the University of Bristol.

The result, researchers said, is a “mostly hostile” planet devoid of food and water sources for mammals.

“Widespread temperatures of between 40 to 50 degrees Celsius, and even greater daily extremes, compounded by high levels of humidity would ultimately seal our fate,” Dr Farnsworth said.

“Humans – along with many other species – would expire due to their inability to shed this heat through sweat, cooling their bodies,” he said.

Image shows the warmest month average temperature (degrees Celsius) for Earth and the projected supercontinent (Pangea Ultima) in 250 million years, when it would be difficult for almost any mammals to survive

The supercomputer simulation suggests the planet may remain largely habitable until this seismic landmass change in the deep future.

But when the supercontinent forms, the research indicates only about 8 and 16 per cent of Earth’s landmass would be habitable for mammals.

In the study, scientists applied climate models simulating temperature, wind, rain and humidity trends for Pangea Ultima expected to form in the next 250 million years.

They also used models of tectonic plate movement as well as ocean chemistry and biology to predict future levels of carbon dioxide.

Image shows the geography of today’s Earth and the projected geography of Earth in 250 million years, when all the continents converge into one supercontinent

Researchers highlighted, however, that it is important to not lose sight of the ongoing global climate crisis resulting from human emissions of greenhouse gases.

“While we are predicting an uninhabitable planet in 250 million years, today we are already experiencing extreme heat that is detrimental to human health. This is why it is crucial to reach net-zero emissions as soon as possible,” study co-author Eunice Lo said.

“We think CO 2 could rise from around 400 parts per million (ppm) today to more than 600 ppm many millions of years in the future. Of course, this assumes that humans will stop burning fossil fuels, otherwise we will see those numbers much, much sooner,” said Benjamin Mills, another author of the study from the University of Leeds.

The findings also have implications for finding other liveable planets, hinting that the landmass layout for a distant world could be a key factor when determining how liveable it may be for humans.

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“The outlook in the distant future appears very bleak. Carbon dioxide levels could be double current levels,” Dr Farnsworth said.

“With the Sun also anticipated to emit about 2.5 per cent more radiation and the supercontinent being located primarily in the hot, humid tropics, much of the planet could be facing temperatures of between 40-70C,” he said.

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1 / 3 Climate change study puts expiration date on all mammals

Image shows the warmest month average temperature (degrees Celsius) for Earth and the projected supercontinent (Pangea Ultima) in 250 million years, when it would be difficult for almost any mammals to survive

University of Bristol

Image shows the geography of today’s Earth and the projected geography of Earth in 250 million years, when all the continents converge into one supercontinent

University of Bristol

Composite image shows planets Earth and Venus

Arie Wilson Passwaters/Rice University

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Climate. News. Study reveals formation of massive, ultra-hot and largely uninhabitable supercontinent called Pangea Ultima. Vishwam Sankaran. Comments. Article bookmarked. Find your bookmarks in your Independent Premium section, under my profile. ✕. Close. Related video: Scientists Warn Of Sixth Mass Extinction. Sign up to the Independent Climate email for the latest advice on saving the planet. Get our free Climate email. SIGN UP. privacy notice. Thanks for signing up to the Independent Climate email. Unprecedented global warming will wipe out all mammals during a mass extinction event in about 250 million years, according to a new study. The world’s continents are predicted to eventually merge once again to form an ultra-hot, dry and largely uninhabitable supercontinent called Pangea Ultima, said the climate change research, published on Monday in the journal Nature Geoscience . Climate change that takes place over millennia differs from the man-made climate crisis which has been largely caused by the burning of fossil fuels. Supercomputer simulations of the distant future were used by scientists that included those from the University of Bristol to project how global temperatures are set to further increase as the sun becomes brighter and emits more energy. The movement of the Earth’s tectonic plates is also expected to result in the formation of another supercontinent, which could spark more frequent volcanic eruptions to produce huge releases of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, further warming the planet, researchers said. Recommended. Extreme cooling ’caused extinction of early humans in Europe 1.1m years ago’ Supervolcano which contributed to wiping out the Neanderthals has ‘realistic possibility’ of erupting. Planets like Earth facing threat from stars blasting intense X-rays at their atmospheres, Nasa study suggests. Until now, mammals – including humans – have managed to survive on Earth thanks to their ability to adjust to weather extremes via adaptations such as fur and hibernating in the cold as well as short spells of hibernation. While mammals have adapted to survive cold temperatures, their upper-temperature tolerance has remained constant over the millions of years of their evolution. Thus, prolonged excessive heat as predicted by the simulation is much harder to overcome, making the Earth ultimately unsurvivable for mammals. “The newly emerged supercontinent would effectively create a triple whammy, comprising the continentality effect, hotter sun and more CO 2 in the atmosphere, of increasing heat for much of the planet,” said the study’s lead author Alexander Farnsworth from the University of Bristol. The result, researchers said, is a “mostly hostile” planet devoid of food and water sources for mammals. “Widespread temperatures of between 40 to 50 degrees Celsius, and even greater daily extremes, compounded by high levels of humidity would ultimately seal our fate,” Dr Farnsworth said. “Humans – along with many other species – would expire due to their inability to shed this heat through sweat, cooling their bodies,” he said. Image shows the warmest month average temperature (degrees Celsius) for Earth and the projected supercontinent (Pangea Ultima) in 250 million years, when it would be difficult for almost any mammals to survive. The supercomputer simulation suggests the planet may remain largely habitable until this seismic landmass change in the deep future. But when the supercontinent forms, the research indicates only about 8 and 16 per cent of Earth’s landmass would be habitable for mammals. In the study, scientists applied climate models simulating temperature, wind, rain and humidity trends for Pangea Ultima expected to form in the next 250 million years. They also used models of tectonic plate movement as well as ocean chemistry and biology to predict future levels of carbon dioxide. Image shows the geography of today’s Earth and the projected geography of Earth in 250 million years, when all the continents converge into one supercontinent. Researchers highlighted, however, that it is important to not lose sight of the ongoing global climate crisis resulting from human emissions of greenhouse gases. “While we are predicting an uninhabitable planet in 250 million years, today we are already experiencing extreme heat that is detrimental to human health. This is why it is crucial to reach net-zero emissions as soon as possible,” study co-author Eunice Lo said. “We think CO 2 could rise from around 400 parts per million (ppm) today to more than 600 ppm many millions of years in the future. Of course, this assumes that humans will stop burning fossil fuels, otherwise we will see those numbers much, much sooner,” said Benjamin Mills, another author of the study from the University of Leeds. The findings also have implications for finding other liveable planets, hinting that the landmass layout for a distant world could be a key factor when determining how liveable it may be for humans. Recommended. World’s largest carbon-sucking factory starts operation in Iceland. ‘The climate crisis is a reality’: Africa’s summer of extremes. Against the odds: The fight to save sea turtles in Ras Baridi. “The outlook in the distant future appears very bleak. Carbon dioxide levels could be double current levels,” Dr Farnsworth said. “With the Sun also anticipated to emit about 2.5 per cent more radiation and the supercontinent being located primarily in the hot, humid tropics, much of the planet could be facing temperatures of between 40-70C,” he said. More about. University Of Bristol. mammals. mass extinction. Sun. Global Warming. Climate crisis. climate change. Join our commenting forum. Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies. Comments. 1 / 3 Climate change study puts expiration date on all mammals. Image shows the warmest month average temperature (degrees Celsius) for Earth and the projected supercontinent (Pangea Ultima) in 250 million years, when it would be difficult for almost any mammals to survive. University of Bristol. Image shows the geography of today’s Earth and the projected geography of Earth in 250 million years, when all the continents converge into one supercontinent. University of Bristol. Composite image shows planets Earth and Venus. Arie Wilson Passwaters/Rice University. Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article. Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today. Subscribe. Already subscribed? Log in. Most Popular. Popular videos. Sponsored Features.