A new study on plant and animal species indicates an alarming trend: they’re getting smaller:
The shrinking victims, according to the study, include cotton, corn, strawberries, bay scallops, shrimp, crayfish, carp, Atlantic salmon, herring, frogs, toads, iguanas, hooded robins, red-billed gulls, California squirrels, lynx and wood rats.
The study suggests climate change as a possible agent of change. I suppose that’s possible, less rainfall for example could certainly translate into smaller stature directly, and select for smaller sized plants and animals over time. But that’s a bold claim and it will require more evidence before its widely accepted.
You’re right, a lot more research needs to be done.
I can’t wait for the denialist crowd to jump on this and ridicule it. They’ll probably think it means individual animals are shrinking right in front of our eyes (they can’t understand that evolution happens to populations and not individuals).
For larger animals, it makes sense that they would get smaller as the planet warms. Better heat dispersal, because of a higher surface area to volume ratio. Cold climates favor larger animals because they retain body heat better. I’ve seen some evidence of this happening to deer, for example.
As for plants, no idea.