Whether mussels, crustaceans or fish, marine animals have been responding to environmental crises with a reduction in body size for hundreds of millions of years. A new study by Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), in conjunction with the Universities of Warsaw and Lille, now shows that this phenomenon, known as the "Lilliput effect," is especially pronounced during phases of strong global warming. The researchers see it as a warning sign regarding changes to today's climate.