Extinction

[Falcon]

In 2011 we have seen the deaths of the last Javan Rhino, and the Western Black Rhino. Gone forever.

In your lifetime you will most likely see the extinction of the

Cross River Gorilla
Sumatran Tiger
Vietnamese Langur monkey
Snow Leopard

And in your kids' lifetime they will see the extinction of

Pandas
Polar Bears


depressing

[edyle]

In 2011 we have seen the deaths of the last Javan Rhino, and the Western Black Rhino. Gone forever.

In your lifetime you will most likely see the extinction of the

Cross River Gorilla
Sumatran Tiger
Vietnamese Langur monkey
Snow Leopard

And in your kids' lifetime they will see the extinction of

Pandas
Polar Bears


depressing

Mammoths are extinct; dinosaurs are extinct;
but nowadays theres elephants and lizards.

if cats go extinct (and by that I mean lions, tigers, leopards and all such) there'd be something to worry about.
If monkeys go extinct there'd be something about.

So don't get depressed.

[Falcon]

I am depressed, because you names lizards as a follow up to dinosaurs and failed to mention birds.

Oh well........

(not really the direction in which I wanted to head but....)

[edyle]

I am depressed, because you names lizards as a follow up to dinosaurs and failed to mention birds.

Oh well........

(not really the direction in which I wanted to head but....)

You need to get out in the sunlight some more.
:)

Hey, next month is Christmas! Think about getting some gifts for some children.

[Falcon]

grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr...

[kemist]

In 2011 we have seen the deaths of the last Javan Rhino, and the Western Black Rhino. Gone forever.

In your lifetime you will most likely see the extinction of the

Cross River Gorilla
Sumatran Tiger
Vietnamese Langur monkey
Snow Leopard

And in your kids' lifetime they will see the extinction of

Pandas
Polar Bears


depressing

Isn't technology available to 'revive' a species? i.e. from stem cells or cloning or something like that? The tech may need some refining but i would think it wise to start taking genetic samples from the species that are near extinction, in hopes that someday we could bring them back.

The other side to the argument is that what if they are supposed to go extinct? (according to natural selection). If they are endangered solely because of human activity then we have a responsibility to preserve them.

[vaio]

You need to get out in the sunlight some more.
:)

Hey, next month is Christmas! Think about getting some gifts for some children.

:rolleyes:

[vaio]

i'm not too much aware of what's going on in the animal kingdom but it would be sad if there were no pandas or polar bears :s:

[Falcon]

Number one reason is habitat loss and two is poaching.

But, isn't that the role of top predators? To make others extinct?

[amzz]

stupid top predators u mean

v, because of climate change the polar bear is losing its habitat..

[amzz]

falcon Im confused about something

the western black rhino has been declared as extinct but
is this the same one that natgeo had photos of being airlifted?

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2011/11/pictures/111109-rhino-airlifted-safety-helicopter-animals/?source=link_fb20111109news-rhinosairlifted

[vaio]

stupid top predators u mean

v, because of climate change the polar bear is losing its habitat..

that really sucks :s:

[edyle]

stupid top predators u mean

v, because of climate change the polar bear is losing its habitat..

Climate change is believed to have been the cause of other animals, such as the DINOSAUR going extinct in the past.
Who knows when homo sapiens will go extinct?
Isn't homo erectus extinct, by the way?

I wonder if polar bears are a distinct species from bears?
Are there any Arawaks around? Are Arawaks extinct?

[Sirius]

If we are aware of species that are going to become extinct we are fully capable of breeding in captivity with the goal of repopulating the wild. Actually sitting down and doing it is another story. Should it be done at all? Well perhaps it depends. As others have pointed out, extinctions are part of the natural way of things. As the current occupants at the top of the ladder, we get to decide which we revive and which we let die out.

Regarding climate change being responsible for the extinctions, the jury is still out on to just what extent we are heating up the planet. The Earth goes through regular heating and cooling cycles, and we could just be going through the warming up that precedes an ice age.

[edyle]

If we are aware of species that are going to become extinct we are fully capable of breeding in captivity with the goal of repopulating the wild. Actually sitting down and doing it is another story. Should it be done at all? Well perhaps it depends. As others have pointed out, extinctions are part of the natural way of things. As the current occupants at the top of the ladder, we get to decide which we revive and which we let die out.

Regarding climate change being responsible for the extinctions, the jury is still out on to just what extent we are heating up the planet. The Earth goes through regular heating and cooling cycles, and we could just be going through the warming up that precedes an ice age.

I would like to re-emphasize the issue of extinction of species to which the original post refers to.
I believe for example that the panda is a distinct species related to the bear family, but some of the other examples quoted in the original post strike me as not being unique species in the same way that a DOBERMAN dog is NOT a SPECIES.

If we left the doberman's alone, (or say the pit bulls might be a better example), you probably won't find any left after a few generations because we're not forcing them to interbreed.

In the same way the .. what was it.. cross river bear? and some tiger? I suspect are not unique SPECIES; merely a matter of predominant traits developing in particular regions becuase of the interbreeding.

The African ELEPHANT for example, can be distinguished from the Indian ELEPHANT, but are they different SPECIES?

[Sirius]

Yes, they are different species; unlike the matter of dogs where we have breeds of dog. However, the dog itself is different to the wolf.

Kingdom -> Phylum -> Class -> Order -> Family -> Genus -> Species.

[Falcon]

That's just taxonomy; not based on too many concrete criteria until now, with sequencing.

Taxonomy is very fluid. Again, I refer to the Nanda paper where birds' relatedness has thrown up all kinds of amazing curveballs and you wont believe who is phylogenetically related to who.

[edyle]

That's just taxonomy; not based on too many concrete criteria until now, with sequencing.

Taxonomy is very fluid. Again, I refer to the Nanda paper where birds' relatedness has thrown up all kinds of amazing curveballs and you wont believe who is phylogenetically related to who.

So the Nanda panda is related to birds?
Is the Nanda panda sexually compatible to other pandas or is it a different..... what I would call species?

[Falcon]

stick to 9/11 business breds, yuh seem to be in your element dey at least

[Falcon]

not extinct but 16 Sperm whales beached on Tasmania

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/wildlife/8886040/Sperm-whales-wash-up-on-Tasmanian-beach.html

A (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/wildlife/8886040/Sperm-whales-wash-up-on-Tasmanian-beach.html)mazing how this type of whale communicates with its mates in a pod; and how they dive for squid at over 400m

[indie]

i luv polar bears :s:

[amzz]

i luv polar bears :s:

why?