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However, there simply does not seem to be sufficient evidence for the disease hypothesis. First, there has been no evidence of disease found. Next, even extremely virulent diseases, like the plague or West Nile Virus, do not have the kill rates necessary to cause the extinction of an entire species. In addition, one has to realize that the extinction of large mammals coincided with the extinction of other animals, like birds, marsupials, placentals, testudines, and crocodilians. It is unlikely that a disease would be lethal in such a wide-variety of animal populations, especially when it did not destroy all species of certain animal genus.
The final theory is that a meteor killed the large mammals. There is evidence that meteor impacts caused earlier extinctions like the Permian-Triassic extinction and the extinction of the dinosaurs. Meteor impacts can interfere with food sources, because the resulting dust in the air interferes with photosynthesis. Meteors may also indirectly cause acid rain. In addition, there is the slim possibility that impacts could cause large-scale...
Meteors are strongly linked to the extinction of the dinosaurs, but no evidence of a sufficiently-large meteor supports impact as a cause of the large animal extinction at the end of the last ice age.
Regardless of what actually began the death and dying among the large mammals, it is easy to understand why the animals became extinct. Each species has what mathematical ecologists refer to as an "extinction threshold," and when the numbers of a species dip below that threshold, it becomes easy for the species to become extinct. Lower numbers, caused by one factor, like climate change or disease, would make it easier for an intervening factor, like human predation, to cause the extinction of a species. Furthermore, smaller numbers means less genetic adversity, which could result in death over a relatively short period of time. Large mammals, with their smaller populations and longer lifespans, and longer gestation periods would be more susceptible to any of the possible causes of extinction than smaller mammals.
Mammals of Michigan There are many mammal species in Michigan, and this paper will discuss some of them, in terms of how they have evolved to live in the Michigan area, and how they have evolved to live off the land in the Michigan area. Something of the geological history of Michigan will also be discussed. We will start with the extinct mammals of the Michigan area: about 12,500 to 11,800 years
ancient Michigan basin area and discuss a brief geological history of the area and how the mammals that lived during the Ice Age adapted to their environment over the years. Use at least 12 sources of information; use quotes Michigan experienced the great Ice Age and was covered by glaciers several times. These events in turn affected the mammals that inhabited what are now the Great Lakes region and the state
Animal Rights Introduction to the ESA According to Merriam-Webster's Dictionary of Law (1996) the Endangered Species Act (ESA) obligated the government to protect all animal and plant life threatened with extinction. Included in this category are endangered species, which is defined as any species "which is in danger of extinction throughout all or a significant portion of its range." Also protected are threatened species, which are defined as any species "which is
Coastal Animals Sea Turtles (SeaWorld, 2004) From a taxonomy perspective, sea turtles belong to the overall class of reptilia. The order is testudines. The suborder cryptodira also includes fresh water turtles. There are two families of sea turtles. Based on their carapaces, sea turtles are divided into two families: bony -- covered with horny scutes -- turtles and leatherback turtles. There are eight species of sea turtles: green Chelonia mydas, black Chelonia
Lost Mountain' and look at what the writer say about coal mining and its overall effects to the overall environment and the entire human race. It will first analyze the problem at hand both from the political side and other actors involved in the coal mining on mountain tops. In addition to that the study will go ahead to see the varying criticism and proponents views on the issue
He describes how wild grains and animals were domesticated, as well as the new technologies that made farming possible (sickles, baskets, pestles, gourds, irrigation, the wheel, the plow). He uses a chart to plot these movements. His evidence is mainly archeological, historical, and botanical with heavy doses of appeal to imaginary scenarios. Its power to convince is narrational. His ultimate point in cataloguing this change is to assert how,