From cmuir@haldane.mbb.sfu.ca Wed Jan 15 14:28:44 1997 Received: from mx3.u.washington.edu by lists.u.washington.edu (5.65+UW96.08/UW-NDC Revision: 2.33 ) id AA12204; Wed, 15 Jan 97 14:28:44 -0800 Received: from haldane.mbb.sfu.ca (haldane.mbb.sfu.ca [142.58.213.51]) by mx3.u.washington.edu (8.8.4+UW96.12/8.8.4+UW96.12) with ESMTP id OAA17218 for ; Wed, 15 Jan 1997 14:28:42 -0800 Received: from localhost (cmuir@localhost) by haldane.mbb.sfu.ca (8.7.1/8.7.1) with SMTP id OAA09395; Wed, 15 Jan 1997 14:31:00 -0800 (PST) Date: Wed, 15 Jan 1997 14:31:00 -0800 (PST) From: "C. Cam Muir" To: Ronnie Hawkins Cc: consbio@u.washington.edu Subject: Re: anthropogenic vs evolutionary extinction In-Reply-To: Message-Id: Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII Hi Ronnie, I'm not sure that the question you ask (are there spp which have recently gone extinct or are currently endangered in the absence of human influence) can actually be answered. Extinction is a phenomenon which is brought on by some combination of environmental influences (ie a spp's relative fitness in a given environment and it's abiltity to cope with changes to that environment). Since each individual is a part of the environment for all others on some level, I think it would not be possible to answer the question "What would the global environment be like in the absence of human influence?". This is not to say that all extinctions are the "fault" of human existance simply that we are an undeniable part of the environment for all living things. I think a major part of the "problem" is that humans tend to think of themselves as seperate from (and in control of) "nature". We are not able to act in a way which is ecologically innert and so we must find a way in which we are able minimize unnecessary consumption or make more of an effort to consume in a way which is globally sustainable. My two bits. Take care. cam... C. Cam Muir Institute of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry Morality aught not be treated like a Simon Fraser University taxi; Burnaby, B.C. V5A 1S6 dismissing it once you have arrived Canada at your destination. (604) 291-4593 fax: (604) 291-5583 cmuir@haldane.mbb.sfu.ca On Wed, 15 Jan 1997, Ronnie Hawkins wrote: > > Dear listmembers: > > I have an informational question for anyone on this list who might > be able to help. Are there any good examples of species going extinct in > the recent past or threatened with extinction now whose extinction can be > attributed *entirely* to evolutionary causes--for whom human activities > have played or are playing no role whatever in the extinction process? > > The distinction has come up in an interdisciplinary course I'm > co-teaching, and it's my understanding that anthropogenic factors are > the cause of 99+% of ongoing extinctions (ref Wilson's _Biodiversity_ p. > 13, for example). I realize there is a spectrum of *vulnerability* of > species *to* human disturbance, but I'd like some concrete examples of > species we humans may or may not decide to "save" that we've had no > responsibility for endangering, or I'd like to be able to redirect the > philosophical debate back to how to make reparation to the vast majority > we *are* responsible for endangering. > > Much thanks in advance. > > > Ronnie Hawkins > University of Central Florida > > .