Bye-bye...

[romad119]

Stuff like this sets me off:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/livescience/20070808/sc_livescience/dolphinspeciesgoesextinctduetohumans

A great site that shows how we can be a big weed is:

http://extinctanimals.petermaas.nl/

I have a feeling I'll be taking grandkids in the future to the museum more often then the zoo.

 

[Mooing Tricycle]

This Truly makes me sad. Those were some of the COOLEST dolphins in the world and now, more than likely they are gone. Lets hope, HOPE that somehow they can still capture a few breeding pairs of these guys, get them into captivity and possibly help save their species. Maybe... maybe... all is not lost.

 

[Stardust]

Very sad indeed and unfortunately I doubt they will be the last headed in that direction.

 

[WebSlave]

I suspect that human beings are the only species on this planet that some members can be embarrassed at being part of that species.

Sometime far into the future, if humanity still survives, those far distant generations will say of us, "Just what the HELL were those dummies THINKING?"

 

[IloveSnakes1234]

I suspect that human beings are the only species on this planet that some members can be embarrassed at being part of that species.

I hate being human to tell you the truth. I'd like to be a little viper or something, far away from humans who could kill me and my habitat.

 

[Seamus Haley]

I suspect that human beings are the only species on this planet that some members can be embarrassed at being part of that species.

Sometime far into the future, if humanity still survives, those far distant generations will say of us, "Just what the HELL were those dummies THINKING?"

I think we're also the only one that will assume guilt beyond what might be logical.

Human factors are definitely and clearly responsible for the yangtze river dolphin's ultimate demise and people have been aware of it for quite some time (Last Chance to See anyone? Adams? Photo of the falcon and the rubber brimmed fedora?) however... While factors like underwater noise pollution (not good for a species that ecolocates), chemical pollution and fishing had a definite imact, it's also a species that had kind of evolved itself into a dead end long before people were interacting with them.

The species represents a high degree of specialization into an ecological niche which was inherently incapable of supporting a large population. There were never large numbers because the population had evolved to meet the specific environmental demands of a specific river system. They either branched off from or died out in competition with marine species and what was left is a population that was highly suited to it's specific environment and not at all capable of surviving in any other. The human factor removed the chance to continue that process naturally- either evolving further to remain successful within their limited environment, evolving to succeed in bordering environments (back to salt water? Onto land?) or dying out as a response to the pressures inherent in the species they interact with and the environmental changes that happen over time (erosion, temperature changes, altering weather patterns and on and on and on).

The signifigance and impact of any new factor or change, including our less than exactly natural contributions, is going to be directly proportional to the size of the species and the environment it exists in. One river system, one small island... any change is going to be a signifigant one. The smaller the environment or population, the more specific and highly evolved to a given ecological niche, the more it becomes a razor's edge situation. We're not always going to be directly responsible for the decline of a species, but we'll probably always get kicked in the metaphorical stomach by the guilt.