Paleontologist Answers Extinction Questions - Tech Support - WIRED
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Date: 2025-01-30
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Comments and reviews: 20
Velo-vl3qj
Many times, people will say that invasive species are still OK even if they are spread by human activity, because humans (and human migration/transportation of goods) are natural too. Which is of course true - we can't really objectively say that human activity is unnatural.
The issue I think more people need to grapple with is that, if they really understood the issue and were being honest with themselves, they don't want invasives taking over either. Invasives aren't just organisms that are in the wrong place, they have deleterious impacts on the ecosystem in ways that native plants just don't. And they often have pretty deleterious impacts not only on the other plants and animals, but on us.
Invasives choke out waterways and make it impossible for boats to move. They destroy species diversity and create monocultural landscapes. They take over human habitations, like kudzu. They destroy things that are rare and special - such as animals that depend on specialized food sources - which we value. They negatively impact fisheries, recreation, landscapes, coastal flood and storm surge protection, and a lot more. We really don't want invasives taking over, not if we are informed about what they are and do.
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Many times, people will say that invasive species are still OK even if they are spread by human activity, because humans (and human migration/transportation of goods) are natural too. Which is of course true - we can't really objectively say that human activity is unnatural.
The issue I think more people need to grapple with is that, if they really understood the issue and were being honest with themselves, they don't want invasives taking over either. Invasives aren't just organisms that are in the wrong place, they have deleterious impacts on the ecosystem in ways that native plants just don't. And they often have pretty deleterious impacts not only on the other plants and animals, but on us.
Invasives choke out waterways and make it impossible for boats to move. They destroy species diversity and create monocultural landscapes. They take over human habitations, like kudzu. They destroy things that are rare and special - such as animals that depend on specialized food sources - which we value. They negatively impact fisheries, recreation, landscapes, coastal flood and storm surge protection, and a lot more. We really don't want invasives taking over, not if we are informed about what they are and do.
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Burning_Saints
I really have a deep hatred for people who ask questions like if evolution create perfect creature, why perfect creature die.
First of all, there is no such thing as a perfect creature. Dinosaurs were cool, but they were only adapted for the biomes in which existed at that time, like any other creature in the history of the planet.
People need to stop thinking of evolution as this omnipotent driving force that tries to perfect life. Evolution is micro-adaptions or micro-mutations that change a lineage over extremely long periods of time to adapt to ever changing environments.
If the change in environment is harsh enough, species can't evolve or adapt fast enough and poof, you have extinction events.
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I really have a deep hatred for people who ask questions like if evolution create perfect creature, why perfect creature die.
First of all, there is no such thing as a perfect creature. Dinosaurs were cool, but they were only adapted for the biomes in which existed at that time, like any other creature in the history of the planet.
People need to stop thinking of evolution as this omnipotent driving force that tries to perfect life. Evolution is micro-adaptions or micro-mutations that change a lineage over extremely long periods of time to adapt to ever changing environments.
If the change in environment is harsh enough, species can't evolve or adapt fast enough and poof, you have extinction events.
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blakespower
there is a lot of conflicting answers why dinosaurs died but mammals did survive because they were small and lived underground, there were burrowing small dinosaurs also and turtles and crocs and lizards survived because of their slow metabolism and the feasted on all the rotting dinosaurs, and modern lizards crocs and turtles can survive without food for months and they survived because they were cold blooded, still doesnt make sense why all non avian dinosaurs died if they could burrow like mammals and were small. also it tells me maybe the earth recovered after a few months since thats how long crocs can go without eating
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there is a lot of conflicting answers why dinosaurs died but mammals did survive because they were small and lived underground, there were burrowing small dinosaurs also and turtles and crocs and lizards survived because of their slow metabolism and the feasted on all the rotting dinosaurs, and modern lizards crocs and turtles can survive without food for months and they survived because they were cold blooded, still doesnt make sense why all non avian dinosaurs died if they could burrow like mammals and were small. also it tells me maybe the earth recovered after a few months since thats how long crocs can go without eating
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Burning_Saints
I also really don't understand how certain scientists think they are going to bring back extinct species.
A mammoth would have consisted of 100% mammoth DNA. It's genome was solely comprised of DNA that made up a mammoth.
So if you have to fill even 5% of that genome with the DNA of the closest extant relative, you're not creating a mammoth. You're creating a hybrid. We have created hybrids through breeding. None of them have a place in the wild, and even more importantly, none of them have been capable of surviving in the wild.
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I also really don't understand how certain scientists think they are going to bring back extinct species.
A mammoth would have consisted of 100% mammoth DNA. It's genome was solely comprised of DNA that made up a mammoth.
So if you have to fill even 5% of that genome with the DNA of the closest extant relative, you're not creating a mammoth. You're creating a hybrid. We have created hybrids through breeding. None of them have a place in the wild, and even more importantly, none of them have been capable of surviving in the wild.
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ImNotHere222
I am so grateful to you, Dr. Ken, that you continue in the critical role you serve in biological sciences despite it being painfully politicized and questioned in ways that all the science in the world cannot suffice to answer. It is a strange time when political pundits and those who praise them can sway the minds of many, while evidence and facts are ignored because they don't amount to a profitable truth. I hope you continue to share your knowledge, even and perhaps especially when it might feel disheartening.
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I am so grateful to you, Dr. Ken, that you continue in the critical role you serve in biological sciences despite it being painfully politicized and questioned in ways that all the science in the world cannot suffice to answer. It is a strange time when political pundits and those who praise them can sway the minds of many, while evidence and facts are ignored because they don't amount to a profitable truth. I hope you continue to share your knowledge, even and perhaps especially when it might feel disheartening.
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SiqueScarface
0: 45 We should point out that a lot of other lineages died out at the same time, like pterosaurs, mosasaurs and plesiosaurs, but also ammonites and nearly all foraminifera. Most of the birds died out too. Only birds with toothless beaks survived. Same for mammals - only mammals with an omnivorous diet and insect eaters survived, but all herbivores and all carnivores diet out too. 60 percent of all North American plant species died out, and so did 90% of all plankton species.
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0: 45 We should point out that a lot of other lineages died out at the same time, like pterosaurs, mosasaurs and plesiosaurs, but also ammonites and nearly all foraminifera. Most of the birds died out too. Only birds with toothless beaks survived. Same for mammals - only mammals with an omnivorous diet and insect eaters survived, but all herbivores and all carnivores diet out too. 60 percent of all North American plant species died out, and so did 90% of all plankton species.
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Kushina87
While I agree, if modern settlers were the smoking gun for extinction (ie the dodo or the great auk) they should be brought back, instead of resurrecting already gone species, why not start rebuilding the critically endangered species Let them get stable, then the species scientists are trying to bring back actually jave a functional ecosystem to return to Rather than competing for already limited resources
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While I agree, if modern settlers were the smoking gun for extinction (ie the dodo or the great auk) they should be brought back, instead of resurrecting already gone species, why not start rebuilding the critically endangered species Let them get stable, then the species scientists are trying to bring back actually jave a functional ecosystem to return to Rather than competing for already limited resources
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queenc8667
Oh god, the deforestation is a good thing’ & Pandas are useless’ question made me laugh but also really annoyed like hello every animal, plants, & living being (including humans) have significant roles here in this planet.
Good thing Dr. Lacovara answered that question with ease and lil’ bit of sass cause I would be pulling my hair out if I’m in his position.
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Oh god, the deforestation is a good thing’ & Pandas are useless’ question made me laugh but also really annoyed like hello every animal, plants, & living being (including humans) have significant roles here in this planet.
Good thing Dr. Lacovara answered that question with ease and lil’ bit of sass cause I would be pulling my hair out if I’m in his position.
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wired
This was a good one. Especially the point that our very existence was extremely unlikely.
And this is why I dispute the contention that intelligent life similar to ours, must exist on other planets.
We are an accident.
Unless of course you believe in a Creator which would mean our existence is anything BUT an accident.
Choose your poison.
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This was a good one. Especially the point that our very existence was extremely unlikely.
And this is why I dispute the contention that intelligent life similar to ours, must exist on other planets.
We are an accident.
Unless of course you believe in a Creator which would mean our existence is anything BUT an accident.
Choose your poison.
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PaulBoden-d7p
Only a young person could deny the current mass extinction. I'm old enough to remember vast flocks of birds, butterflies and other insects all of which have virtually disappeared in about 50 years. With the exception of the dinosaur asteroid all other mass extinctions have taken millennia. This one is happening at breakneck speed.
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Only a young person could deny the current mass extinction. I'm old enough to remember vast flocks of birds, butterflies and other insects all of which have virtually disappeared in about 50 years. With the exception of the dinosaur asteroid all other mass extinctions have taken millennia. This one is happening at breakneck speed.
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yugnok
He says that we are in an extinction event because of climate change. Then he says we are are in an extinction event because of X number of species going extinct or a reduction in the populations. There are various reasons for those extinctions (e. g. hunting) not all of them are climate change or even close. Intellectually dishonest.
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He says that we are in an extinction event because of climate change. Then he says we are are in an extinction event because of X number of species going extinct or a reduction in the populations. There are various reasons for those extinctions (e. g. hunting) not all of them are climate change or even close. Intellectually dishonest.
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oliversnow
0: 44 a centimeter seems like a lot. How does that prove it was the snap of a finger Sounds like oversimplification. Is a centimeter of fossils a lot Based on how old dinosaurs are a centimeter seems like a lot of sediment.
I didn’t watch the rest. Really lost my trust there.
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0: 44 a centimeter seems like a lot. How does that prove it was the snap of a finger Sounds like oversimplification. Is a centimeter of fossils a lot Based on how old dinosaurs are a centimeter seems like a lot of sediment.
I didn’t watch the rest. Really lost my trust there.
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discursion
Please, please, please! Don't just point to climate change. Animal agriculture is the main culprit for mass wild animal extinction! It just so happens to be the main cause of deforestation, habitat destruction, oceanic dead zones and one of the main drivers of greenhouse gases.
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Please, please, please! Don't just point to climate change. Animal agriculture is the main culprit for mass wild animal extinction! It just so happens to be the main cause of deforestation, habitat destruction, oceanic dead zones and one of the main drivers of greenhouse gases.
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Melvin-nt9xu
8: 22 I think that statement is wrong because there is evidence in the fossil records that they weren’t doing so well before the impact. About a few hundred or million years you can see they were going towards an extinction. The cause were likely volcanic eruptions.
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8: 22 I think that statement is wrong because there is evidence in the fossil records that they weren’t doing so well before the impact. About a few hundred or million years you can see they were going towards an extinction. The cause were likely volcanic eruptions.
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duffmcclintock6199
The California condor almost went extinct in part due to a sufficient number of hunters leaving their deer kills on the ground to rot and the condors would eat the bullets and or pellets to the point where of lead poisoning That does not pass the smell test.
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The California condor almost went extinct in part due to a sufficient number of hunters leaving their deer kills on the ground to rot and the condors would eat the bullets and or pellets to the point where of lead poisoning That does not pass the smell test.
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coffeebot3000
I've seen a lot of these videos, but this one had some of the dumbest questions/comments. Pandas should go extinct. Deforestation is good. The sharks should be extinct.
This guy was so patient answering these comments instead of just saying Give me a break.
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I've seen a lot of these videos, but this one had some of the dumbest questions/comments. Pandas should go extinct. Deforestation is good. The sharks should be extinct.
This guy was so patient answering these comments instead of just saying Give me a break.
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tnmoe-
We dont want to be playing planetary engineer with earth's biosphere but we should bring back wooly mammoths because they had an important role in their time and can 'help stop climate change'
Kiiinnnda sounds like you want to play planetary engineer there, buddy
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We dont want to be playing planetary engineer with earth's biosphere but we should bring back wooly mammoths because they had an important role in their time and can 'help stop climate change'
Kiiinnnda sounds like you want to play planetary engineer there, buddy
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ickess
I heard a sad story about a bird species that went extinct. The male and female would sing a song together before mating. When there was just one left, it was singing half the song trying to find a mate. It’s heartbreaking really. There’s a recording of it.
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I heard a sad story about a bird species that went extinct. The male and female would sing a song together before mating. When there was just one left, it was singing half the song trying to find a mate. It’s heartbreaking really. There’s a recording of it.
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cathleenc6943
The Caribbean Monk seal. The last sighting was in 1952, and it was declared extinct in 2008.
You should definitely try to include this one in your push to bring back recently extinct animals. The Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean needs to have seals again.
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The Caribbean Monk seal. The last sighting was in 1952, and it was declared extinct in 2008.
You should definitely try to include this one in your push to bring back recently extinct animals. The Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean needs to have seals again.
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yaonyaon9460
If you are bringing back mammoths, then go one step further and genetically modify them to look like pandas but way bigger. Getting stepped on by a mammoth sounds meh, but being crushed to death by a cute fluffy panda, that I may seriously consider.
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If you are bringing back mammoths, then go one step further and genetically modify them to look like pandas but way bigger. Getting stepped on by a mammoth sounds meh, but being crushed to death by a cute fluffy panda, that I may seriously consider.
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