The Wildlife News

A Project of Sage Steppe Wild

evolution

  • Forests or trees?

    George Wuerthner

    “What but the wolf’s tooth whittled so fine the fleet limbs of the antelope?” wrote the poet Robinson Jeffers. Jeffers encapsulated the idea that evolutionary processes shape all plants and animals.  Unfortunately, far too many in the Forest Service and the collaboratives that work with them fail to understand this basic idea—a “healthy” forest is…

  • A Consequence of human killing of large animals. Rats to inherit the Earth.

    Ralph Maughan

    Future evolution to make Earth home to variety of rat-like creatures? What will be the end result of the human tendency to shoot, club, poison, or destroy the habitat of the large mammals, and as they disappear the medium sized mammals as well? Dr Jan Zalasiewicz  at the Geology Department at the University of Leicester (UK)…

  • Fish species today are small and prolific

    Ralph Maughan

    Human evolutionary pressure has favored species that have short lifespans, begin to reproduce early, and are small- The findings detailed in the article below are entirely predictable. By selectively killing (overfishing) the largest fish (and biggest animals) humans unintentionally guide the course of evolution to favor the small, quick reproducers. While human caused, this result…

  • Ancient DNA from Rare Fossil Reveals That Polar Bears Evolved Recently and Adapted Quickly

    Ralph Maughan

    Polar bears are a geologically very new species- This is quite relevant because we have been discussing how grizzly bears are displacing polar bears in the Arctic.  We already knew brown bears were polar bears’ ancestors. Ancient DNA from Rare Fossil Reveals That Polar Bears Evolved Recently and Adapted Quickly. Science Daily.

  • Human fishing and hunting is accelerating evolution of species

    Ralph Maughan

    Result is mostly toward smaller and shorter-lived individuals- Human fishing and hunting accelerating evolution of species. Fishing and hunting by humans is accelerating the speed of evolution in some species as it removes whole generations of large adults who would otherwise reproduce. By Richard Alleyne, Science Correspondent. UK Telegraph. Assuming that the prey does not…

  • Predators Do More Than Kill Prey

    Ralph Maughan

    Predation does more than affect ecosystem dynamics, it also shapes the evolution of prey species. Predators Do More Than Kill Prey. Science Daily.

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‎”At some point we must draw a line across the ground of our home and our being, drive a spear into the land and say to the bulldozers, earthmovers, government and corporations, “thus far and no further.” If we do not, we shall later feel, instead of pride, the regret of Thoreau, that good but overly-bookish man, who wrote, near the end of his life, “If I repent of anything it is likely to be my good behaviour.”

Edward Abbey

“The continued existence of wildlife and wilderness is important to the quality of life of humans.”

Jim Fowler

“Our forests offer much more than just beautiful landscapes and wildlife. Each one has a different story to tell.”

Raveena Tandon

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