ABSTRACT
As Darwin (Darwin 1859) stated: ‘‘It is not the strongest of the species that survive, nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change’’, thus species that are more capable of adapting to changing environmental conditions will have a greater capability of responding to long term changes in climate. Seasonal changes in temperature and light level, affect primary production and the abundance, distribution and behavior of higher trophic levels. Many taxa have evolved behavioral and physiological responses to avoid unsuitable seasonal change by migrating (whales and birds) (Brodie 1975, Mate et al. 1999, Tremblay et al. 2006) or by means of hibernation and aestivation (bears, badgers and frogs) (Schooley et al. 1994, Tanaka 2006, Tracy et al. 2007). Life history patterns of other animals such as seals and sea
University of California Santa Cruz, Long Marine Lab, 115 McAllister Way, Santa Cruz, CA 95060, USA.
