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RIEL seminar series

Are there useful generalisations about climate change & physiological plasticity?

Presenter Prof. Keith Christian
Date/Time
to
Contact person E: RIEL.outreach@cdu.edu.au
Location Casuarina campus Yellow 1.1.39 and online
Open to Public
Keith Christian head and shoulders with palm tree trunk and large green leaves in the background

Organisms can survive changing environments in two main ways: they can evolve new tolerances (requires genetic variability and time); or, within the lifetime of an individual, they can use their existing capacity to adapt to changing conditions.

This talk will deal with the second of these, which can be referred to as physiological plasticity, or acclimatisation. There is a widely-accepted view that, because tropical environments are less variable than conditions in temperate zones, tropical organisms have less physiological plasticity and are therefore more susceptible to the effects of global warming and climate change.

Over the past 45 years, Prof. Keith Christian has studied the physiology and ecology of amphibians and reptiles in tropical environments in South America, the Caribbean, and Australia. He will use that experience to challenge the generalisations that have been made about tropical organisms and will talk about what – if any – useful generalisations can be made. 

RIEL's Prof Christian is a zoologist whose interests include the physiological and behavioural adaptations of animals – particularly reptiles, amphibians and ants – in response to their physical environment. He has published in the areas of comparative physiology, physiological ecology, exercise physiology, thermoregulatory biology, respiratory physiology, biophysical ecology, and biological control.

YouTube video

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