Extreme Heat Damages The DNA Of An Already Endangered Australian Songbird

Exposure to extremely hot and dry conditions damages the DNA of nestling birds during their first few days of life, so they age faster, die younger and produce fewer offspring

In general, birds are quite vulnerable to climate warming because they are small, they have a high metabolism, and most of them are active during the daytime. Although adult birds have a variety of behavioral and physiological strategies to reduce their chances of heat stroke and death, their hatchlings and nestlings have far fewer options because they are stuck in a nest where they are totally dependent upon others for life-sustaining care, they are experiencing rapid growth (rapid cell divisions) and their bodies are still developing. Thus, the effects of extreme heat are likely to be exaggerated in young birds and the resulting damages may persist into adulthood.

One way to understand what’s happening with the DNA of birds is to look at their telomeres. Telomeres are portions of DNA located on the ends of chromosomes. They are non-coding DNA “caps” that protect the ends of chromosomes from becoming frayed or tangled. Each time a cell divides, its telomeres become…

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