Re: "The Trek: An Epic of Survival (The Darwin's World Series)" by Jack L Knapp

On 12/16/2024 11:47 AM, James Nicoll wrote:

In article <prk0mjli6tskrrsssnpjva8l20hcacg2l2@4ax.com>,
Paul S Person  <psperson@old.netcom.invalid> wrote:

On Sun, 15 Dec 2024 11:16:01 -0800, Bobbie Sellers
<bliss-sf4ever@dslextreme.com> wrote:
>

On 12/15/24 09:32, Dimensional Traveler wrote:

On 12/15/2024 9:10 AM, Ted Nolan <tednolan> wrote:

>
<snippo>
>

Humans have evolved to become very good at getting other animals to do
our work for us.  :)

>
Yes we have but it is common situation that the species
involved benefit somehow with the relationship to man-kind/cruel
including the perpetuation of their DNA from a species that
spares them to be of future use.
The ecologically minded might point out that all the
available species played a part in making ecological space
for the biped with a larger brain. Thus it is to our own
advantage in the future to maintain and extend populations
of other predator and prey species. And to leave them alone
to enjoy their lives in the territories left for them as
much as possible.

>
Nextdoor shows that several species (deer and, of course, bunnies and
rats but also coyotes and bobcats) have instead moved into the cities
and suburbs.
>
This is thought to suppress the bunnies and rats, but it also makes
life outside dangerous for cats and at least small dogs.
>
And possums and raccoons have been around for decades, if not longer.
>
And then there are the flying dinosaur descendants, some of them cute,
others less cute.

 One of the odder details I encountered while digging through old
newpaper files is that in 1900, Kitchener (then Berlin) parks did
not have squirrels. They were deliberately introduced. Maintaining
a breeding population was challenging, as kids kept killing the
squirrels.
 In the last 40 years, Kitchener's downtown pigeon population seems
to have plummeted due to local raptors suddenly discovering KW
is basically one huge buffet. Seagulls also seem to be less
common.
 

The excellent 99% Invisible podcast did a segment about this:
https://99percentinvisible.org/episode/uptown-squirrel/
I was very surprised to learn that prior to the late 1800s,
squirrels were a deep forest species that city dwellers almost
never saw.
Fun site: https://cybersquirrel1.com/
pt