Posted on 06/18/2016 2:47:39 PM PDT by SunkenCiv
It draws on fossil evidence showing Homo sapiens was present in East Africa around 195,000 years ago and that our species had dispersed to the far corners of Eurasia, Australia, and the Americas by 12,000 years ago. This increase in global human populations is linked with a variety of species extinctions, one of the most significant being the reduction by around two-thirds of 150 species of 'megafauna' or big beasts between 50,000 and 10,000 years ago, says the paper, with their disappearance having 'dramatic effects' on the structure of the ecosystem and seed dispersal.
...second... the advent of agriculture worldwide, placed new evolutionary pressures on plants and animals that had 'unprecedented and enduring' effects on the distribution of species, according to the paper. The data highlighted shows that domesticated sheep, goats and cattle were first in the Near East 10,500 years ago, and arrived in Europe, Africa and South Asia within a few millennia. Chickens, originally domesticated in East Asia, reached Britain by the second half of the last millennium and now outnumber people by more than three to one globally, says the paper. Meanwhile, it also highlights research showing that the domestication of dogs happened before the emergence of agricultural societies, with around 700 million to one billion dogs in the world today. By contrast with domesticated animals, the percentage of truly wild vertebrates left today as a result of these long-term processes is described as 'vanishingly small'.
Thirdly, the paper outlines the impact of the human colonisation of islands. It observes that the resulting movement of species was so common that archaeologists speak of 'transported landscapes'. With the humans came new species, fire, deforestation and predatory threats to indigenous animals and birds.
Finally, the paper outlines the effects of an expansion in trade from the Bronze Age onwards...
(Excerpt) Read more at eurekalert.org ...
Flood, Fire, and Famine
in the History of Civilization
by Richard Firestone,
Allen West, and
Simon Warwick-Smith
With the humans came new species, fire, deforestation and predatory threats to indigenous animals and birds.
We can’t expect much from a gang of AGW zealots.
Due to STUPID people.Not everyone.
I’m waiting to find out how ‘W’ was responsible for all of this or has that meme finally gotten shopworn from overuse?
As for the impact of Homo, while it has varied in population, I kind of have a problem with significant impact when you have a planet while the populations were between 5 and 7 digits of hunter-gatherers.
“Humanity is a virus infecting the Earth Mother Goddess Gaia. Kill all humans. “
So, for a species to be successful, it must become a popular human food source.
I have noticed that many species attempt to "taste like chicken." Could it be their desire to become more numerous by becoming a popular food item?
And that's nothing compared to a cross-country flight. Most of the land is still "desolate wilderness."
ML/NJ
It’s all humans fault. Oh noes.
We are every part of nature as everything else.
All animals use nature for their own benefit. Birds make nests. Foxes dig holes. Beavers make dams. Bees make hives.
One you define “pristine” as “unaffected by humans,” you’re all the way to the conclusion you were looking for.
There were never pristine environments.
If these peop.e hate themselves so much, they can just kill themselves.
We’d appreciate it.
So the perfect world is one without humans. I challenge liberals to be the first in line to off themselves in eco friendly disintegration machines
“People were the first predators?”
We are the apex predator on the planet.
Both science and the Bible agree.
Huge forest fires raged and swept across parts of continents in that “pristine” world.
But that’s okay, you see, because that was “natural.”
Lightning has started underground coal- and peat fires that burn for decades—if not longer.
North America can support millions of refugees. /s
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.
