Reintroduction of Megafauna

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Gfamily
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Reintroduction of Megafauna

Post by Gfamily » Tue Mar 24, 2020 6:24 pm

Hippos going native in South America filling the ecological niche left by extinct native animals.

https://www.theguardian.com/environment ... -world-aoe
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dyqik
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Re: Reintroduction of Megafauna

Post by dyqik » Tue Mar 24, 2020 10:32 pm

TIL that there was once such a thing as a 3-ton wombat.

The Google search results are pretty terrifying.

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Fishnut
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Re: Reintroduction of Megafauna

Post by Fishnut » Tue Mar 24, 2020 11:04 pm

There's a Tim Flannery book about the ecological history of Australia (the title of which I can't remember off the top of my head) and I know it suggested bringing Komodo dragons into the top end of Aus as a replacement for the mega-lizards that used to live in the area. One thing I never considered was the importance of the poo. He made quite a compelling case (at least when I was reading it) that the loss of dung and associated dung beetles and other dung-using animals incorporating it into the top soil was at least partly responsible for its degradation and subsequent loss.
it's okay to say "I don't know"

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Gfamily
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Re: Reintroduction of Megafauna

Post by Gfamily » Tue Mar 24, 2020 11:39 pm

It seems to be a common understanding that the extinction of the South American Megatherium (and other giant ground sloths) was disastrous to the propagation of the Avocado, as it was the only animal that was able to distribute the Avocado seed, nothing else having a gut large enough to swallow the seed and pass it whole.
Had it not been for humans it would have been very sensitive to extinction by environment loss.
My avatar was a scientific result that was later found to be 'mistaken' - I rarely claim to be 100% correct
ETA 5/8/20: I've been advised that the result was correct, it was the initial interpretation that needed to be withdrawn
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bmforre
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Re: Reintroduction of Megafauna

Post by bmforre » Wed Mar 25, 2020 12:42 am

Fishnut wrote:
Tue Mar 24, 2020 11:04 pm
There's a Tim Flannery book about the ecological history of Australia (the title of which I can't remember off the top of my head) and I know it suggested bringing Komodo dragons into the top end of Aus as a replacement for the mega-lizards that used to live in the area. One thing I never considered was the importance of the poo. He made quite a compelling case (at least when I was reading it) that the loss of dung and associated dung beetles and other dung-using animals incorporating it into the top soil was at least partly responsible for its degradation and subsequent loss.
See Ben the Dung Beetle
from the series "Maya the Bee", episode "In Search of Lost Dung".

Plenty more on the 'net.

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Re: Reintroduction of Megafauna

Post by bmforre » Fri May 22, 2020 4:31 pm

Rebreeding the Ur-Bull, the Auerochs.
In German.

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Martin Y
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Re: Reintroduction of Megafauna

Post by Martin Y » Fri May 22, 2020 4:39 pm

I'm a gnu.

How do you do, again?

plebian

Re: Reintroduction of Megafauna

Post by plebian » Sat May 23, 2020 10:31 pm

bmforre wrote:
Fri May 22, 2020 4:31 pm
Rebreeding the Ur-Bull, the Auerochs.
In German.
I dont think the cult director needs help reproducing.

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Re: Reintroduction of Megafauna

Post by bmforre » Sat May 30, 2020 2:27 pm

plebian wrote:
Sat May 23, 2020 10:31 pm
bmforre wrote:
Fri May 22, 2020 4:31 pm
Rebreeding the Ur-Bull, the Auerochs.
In German.
I dont think the cult director needs help reproducing.
Perhaps from a female Auercow?

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