Page #48
It is the times, and we are not immune to this tragedy either.
MA: Homo erectus and Homo neanderthalensis, at one point in time, were in exactly the same situation as our mountain gorilla is now.
Their populations became isolated and their breeding numbers declined to the point where their species failed.
Q: Well our numbers aren’t declining.
MA: No they are not. We have about 6.8 billion humans spread out over every ecosystem on earth and a few brave souls living off the earth in orbit.
We are, in fact, living in a human population explosion.
Tens of thousands of years passed before our species reached the one billion mark, around 1804, it then took only 130, 33, 15, 13 and 12 years to add each succeeding billion.
This accelerating rate of increase is what is meant by the term population explosion. Not that hard to see really.
We are expanding as a species at a faster and faster pace.
Which brings us to the math part of the question.
Would you like to take a break before we get into your favorite subject - she said laughing.
Q: MA knows that I hate math.
Page #49
Thanksgiving Day 2010
Carson City, Nevada
MA’s Study
MA: Settling into her big chair - Thanks for stoking the fire it is getting cold outside. But it is beautiful don't you think?
Q: Oh MA it is like something out of a photograph. Have you owned this house long?
MA: Most of my life.
Q: I feel a bit like the “potted plant” in this interview, you have been so forthcoming that I seem reduced to just listening. However do please go on. Ma do we have to get into math?
MA: Well let's just see.
Would you agree that we are indeed in a human population explosion?
Q: Seems clear to me.
MA: Then there are only two outcomes available. When we speak of population explosions within a species we normally resort to a bit of “geek speak” where we describe the two outcomes as either a “r-selected” species or “k-selected” species.
What this means, in simple terms, is that an “r-selected” species is one that reproduces quickly, has a short maturation time, breeds at a young age, has a short lifespan, produces many offspring quickly, has small offspring, has a high mortality rates for their young, and give little or no parental care.
The "K-selected species" usually live near the carrying capacity of their environment. Their numbers are controlled by the availability of resources.
In other words, they are a density dependent species.
The attributes of a K-selected species include a long maturation time, breeding relatively late in life, a long lifespan, producing relatively few offspring, large newborn offspring, low mortality rates of young, and extensive parental care.
With me so far?
MA: The main point of R/K selection theory is that evolutionary pressures tend to drive animals in one of these two directions — towards quickly reproducing animals whose specialty is to adopt as many niches as possible using simple strategies
Or slowly reproducing animals who are strong competitors in crowded niches and invest substantially in their offspring.
The quick summary of R/K selection theory can be thought of as “quality vs. quantity.”
Q: Then we are obviously “K-selected” species?
MA: For the most part yes.