In several animal species, the sex of offspring is determined by certain environmental factors, such as temperature. This phenomenon is widespread in many reptiles and some fish, and means that depending on the incubation temperature of the eggs, either a male or a female will develop.

In warmer seasons, more female individuals are born, while in cooler ones males predominate. According to scientists, being able to determine the sex of offspring based on climate is an adaptive advantage, capable of balancing the number of males and females.

The problem is that climate change is causing a gradual rise in global temperatures, and as the phenomenon intensifies, reptile species sensitive to temperature are in serious danger — the heat could potentially give rise to entirely female populations.

The alarm was raised by researchers at the University of Canberra who conducted a study on Australian bearded dragons (Pogona vitticeps).

According to the research, published in Nature, climate change is capable of driving sex changes in animals in the wild — whereas until now these had only been observed in the laboratory — raising concerns about the future of several species.

"We have observed that temperature potentially has an effect on evolution," explained Clare Holleley of the university's Institute for Applied Ecology and lead researcher on the study. "If species are exposed more frequently to higher temperatures, this can have an impact on their biology".

The fate of some species belonging to one of the oldest animal classes is uncertain; however, the animals have on their side an incredible survival instinct and phenomenal adaptive capabilities.

"One thing we will need to observe in the future is whether an evolutionary dead end will emerge, in which the number of females keeps growing until extinction, or whether the animals will be able to adapt and adjust their temperature threshold," Holleley said.

The imperative is nonetheless to try to counter the phenomenon of global warming, not only for the survival of the human race, but also for the future of the other species with which we share the planet — species that most likely do not raze forests to the ground or pollute the atmosphere.