Around The Block

Science World, Oct 26, 2009 by Katherine Tweed

There’s something odd happening to the Soay sheep on the island of St. Kilda, north of Scotland. Over the years, the sheep have gotten smaller, and scientists believe the reason is climate change.

The planet has been steadily warming in recent decades likely because of increased amounts of gases, such as carbon dioxide, that trap heat near Earth’s surface. These greenhouse gases are released when people burn fossil fuels, like coal and oil, for energy. The increase has led to warmer winters in many places, including St. Kilda. Once, bigger sheep had a better chance than smaller ones of surviving the long, cold months on St. Kilda. Now, due to milder winters, size is not as important.

Overall, the sheep have shrunk in size by about 5 percent in the past 20 years
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