Quote:
Originally Posted by AstralTraveller
Ian,
I've enjoyed, and largely agree with, your contribution to this thread but I must dispute these assertions. I don't think anyone is predicting extinctions on the scale of the Permo-Triassic event (eg 280 of 329 marine invertebrate genera from the South China Sea extinct, 50% loss of terrestrial plant species, the only known mass extinction of insects). I believe current predictions would not push temperatures above those of the last interglacial (ca 120,000 years ago) and I'm unaware of that causing any extinctions.
Of course the real extinction event happening now is not primarliy due to climate, it is agriculture, mining and housing and the associated clearing of natural vegetation that is having a massive impact. Over fishing and over hunting have also had a massive impact. In the not-too-distant past the mega fauna of the Americas, New Zealand and probably Australia were exterminated by the first homo sapiens to arrive on these land masses. In Australia another round of extinctions has occurred in the last 200 years. This clearing of natural vegetation can interact with climate change to exacerbate the effect of both. In the past, as climates changed species could migrate towards the poles or the equator to stay in the same climatic zone. We presently have islands of natural vegetation is a 'sea' of cultural landscapes and this inhibits such migrations.
Finally, I think you mean Neaderthal man went extinct. I believe that was caused by homo sapiens, not climate. The Neolithic was a stage in the cultural development of homo sapiens. Neolithic refers to the new stone age. Prior to that was the palaeolithic (old stone age) followed by mesolithic (middle stone age).
cheers,
David
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Yes
- they are the ones I meant :
Neaderthal man /
we can easily go the same way ....