For years, ecologists have assumed that a warming world would push animals toward cooler refuges—higher latitudes or higher elevations. But a growing body of observations suggests the opposite is happening in many cases. Species are turning up in hotter places than where they were previously found, leaving scientists puzzled.
The pattern is not universal, but it is common enough to challenge a core assumption about climate-driven migration. Researchers are now asking what could explain this behavior. Possible factors may include changing food availability, altered competition, or local microclimates that make some warmer areas unexpectedly suitable.
Whatever the cause, the trend has significant implications for conservation. If models assume all species will flee heat, they may miss the species that are doing the opposite—and the new ecological interactions that follow.