Scientists have identified one universal mathematical curve linking temperature to biological performance across all life on Earth, raising urgent concerns about species survival under accelerating climate change.
Scientists have discovered a single mathematical pattern — the Universal Thermal Performance Curve (UTPC) — that governs how temperature affects every living organism on Earth, from bacteria to mammals.
Analysing over 30,000 performance measurements across roughly 2,700 species, an international research team built a model revealing that biological performance rises with heat until peaking, then collapses rapidly beyond that point.
Lead researcher Ignacio Peralta-Maraver of the University of Granada declared: “This model could become a new standard in the ecology and physiology of global warming.”
Tropical species are most at risk, already operating near their tolerance limits with little room to adapt as temperatures climb.
The findings were published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
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