Ibex are wild goats that live in the mountainous regions of Europe, north central Asia and northern Africa. There are five species of ibex. They have long, curved horns and cloven hooves. Males have long beards. Ibex are related to antelopes, buffalo, bison, cattle, goats and sheep.The Pyrenean ibex was …
Radiofrequency Radiation, here’s the thing
At one end of the radiation spectrum there is the non-ionising radiofrequency, electromagnetic radiation (RF). These longwave and microwave frequencies are used for radio, TV, smartphones, smart meters, base stations, Wi-Fi and other wireless telecommunications. RF radiation lies in the …
Western Black Rhinoceros – Extinct 2003
An estimated one million black rhinoceroses from four different subspecies roamed the savannas of Africa in 1900. By 2001 that number had dropped to about 2,300 black rhinos and just three subspecies. This is the story of how we exterminated one of those subspecies, the western black rhinoceros. There have been some …
Caribbean Monk Seal – Extinct 1952
The Caribbean Monk Seal was also known as the West Indian Monk Seal or Sea Wolf. The first Europeans to see them in August 1494 were Christopher Columbus and his crew when their ship laid anchor off the island of Alta Velo. Their population size, prior to exploitation by Europeans and overfishing, as at the early 17th Century has been estimated at something over a quarter of a million distributed over 13 breeding colonies each 300km apart.
Megafauna Extinctions and the Human Insanity Gene
Megafauna are big animals. Elephants and rhinoceros are megafauna, as are giraffes, whales, cows, deer, tigers, and even humans. The mass extinction of megafauna took place in bursts and started forty thousand years ago in Australia. The second burst was about fifteen thousand years ago in North and South America.
The Moa Lived in Aotearoa and Became Extinct in 1445
For millions of years, nine species of large, flightless birds known as Moas thrived on the islands today known as New Zealand (Aotearoa). The evolutionary lineage of these Moas dates back sixty million years. The Moa fed on twigs and plants. The Moas had one main predator and that was the …
Wild habitat – people who destroy it are amoral, not evil
It is difficult to estimate the time to extinction of a species or a population. This is partly due to a time lag between degradation of a wild habitat to the point that it no longer supports a species and the actual death of the last member of that species.
Biodiversity – Habitat Diversity and Size Matter
Marine biodiversity, and ocean coral reefs in particular, are threatened by acidification, illegal fishing, legal overfishing, agricultural runoff, the spread of algae, excessive silt flowing in the seas and oceans caused by deforestation and dynamite fishing. In fact most of marine life will …
Passenger Pigeon Lived in North America – Extinct 1914
The passenger pigeon flew with grace, speed, and agility. The bird had a small head and neck. The tail was elongated and wedge-shaped. The wingspan was broad and the wings were pointed and powered by large breast muscles that gave it capability for prolonged flight. The average length of the male was …
Anthropocene Epoch: The Age of Humans
Dutch chemist, Paul Crutzen popularised the term Anthropocene, the Age of Humans, that represent this human dominated geological epoch. His argument was based on the facts, 18 years ago, that human activity had transformed between a third and a half of the land surface area of the planet.