In this chapter like the golden frogs from Chapter One, the bats are dying off at an alarming rate due to a new toxin. When looking at the dead bats in New York, they saw that each of them had a white nose which scientists found to be an imported psychrophile which is a type of fungus. This is similar to the case of the golden frogs as humans have shown to be the main reason why it is traveling so fast due to trade. Darwin could not understand exactly how animals were able to travel without the aid of humans long ago. This thought later leads to Alfred Wegener breakthrough as he established the theory of “continental drift” which means that continents were unified into the supercontinent Pangea. The present day transportation of animals from continent to continent means that these animals must adapt to new environments quickly. A theory as to why some animals are able to adapt in a new environment is referred to as “enemy release.” This is when “A species has been transported to a new spot, especially on a new continent, has left may of its rivals and predators behind.” This has to do with the theme technology and population growth have enabled humans to increase both the rate and scale of their impact on the environment since this can also cause a change in an environments original food chain.
No comments:
Post a Comment