With climates and the planet becoming hotter, scientists have estimated when all mammals – including humans – will become extinct.
According to a new study published in the journal "Nature Geoscience," nearly all mammals are expected to become extinct within the next 250 million years due to "unprecedented heat."
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"If we only look at humans' natural ability to survive extreme heat (no technology allowed) then there are several heat stress thresholds that can't be crossed in general," Alexander Farnsworth, lead author of the study, told Newsweek. "If we factor in technology, we can survive thanks to building environmentally controlled shelters with air conditioning. But we would likely have to build other facilities to house food production as well."
The research, led by the University of Bristol, indicates that all continents will converge to form one hot, dry and largely uninhabitable supercontinent called Pangea Ultima in the next 250 million years. The international team of scientists then applied supercomputer climate models simulating temperature, wind, rain, and humidity trends, along with estimated future carbon dioxide levels, for the projected supercontinent.
The study shows that the sun will become brighter, emitting more energy and warming the Earth. Tectonic processes resulting in the supercontinent formation would also lead to more frequent volcanic eruptions which produce huge releases of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, further warming the planet.
Basically, temperatures will rise to a level where it would be difficult for almost any mammals to survive.
"The outlook in the distant future appears very bleak," Farnsworth said in a statement. "Carbon dioxide levels could be double current levels. With the Sun also anticipated to emit about 2.5% more radiation and the supercontinent being located primarily in the hot, humid tropics, much of the planet could be facing temperatures of between 40 to 70 degrees Celsius [104-158 F]."
While mammals, including humans, have survived historically thanks to their ability to adjust to weather extremes, their upper temperature tolerance has generally remained constant.
"The newly-emerged supercontinent would effectively create a triple whammy, comprising the continentality effect, hotter sun and more CO2 in the atmosphere, of increasing heat for much of the planet. The result is a mostly hostile environment devoid of food and water sources for mammals," Farnsworth said. "Widespread temperatures of between 40 to 50 degrees Celsius [104-122 F], and even greater daily extremes, compounded by high levels of humidity would ultimately seal our fate. Humans – along with many other species – would expire due to their inability to shed this heat through sweat, cooling their bodies."
The study pointed out that although human-induced climate change and global warming is likely to be a growing cause of heat stress and mortality in some regions, research suggests the planet should largely remain habitable until the formation of Pangea Ultima in the deep future. But when the supercontinent forms, findings indicate only somewhere between 8% and 16% of land would be habitable for mammals.
"It is vitally important not to lose sight of our current climate crisis, which is a result of human emissions of greenhouse gases," said co-author Dr. Eunice Lo. "While we are predicting an uninhabitable planet in 250 million years, today we are already experiencing extreme heat that is detrimental to human health. This is why it is crucial to reach net-zero emissions as soon as possible."
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