ALBUM – Noviembre
This week there has been discussion by the US Fish and Wildlife Service about removing Yellowstone Grizzlies from the Endangered Species list. The process of ‘delisting’ a species begins with the determination that threats to the recovery and survival of the population has been eliminated. Last month’s study published in Molecular Ecology indicates the population in the park has a strong enough genetic diversity to continue its recovery. Paired with the four fold increase in the Park’s bear numbers over the past 25 years the scales are tipping towards the groups pushing to remove the animals from the Endangered Species list and open them to limited hunting outside the Park. The fate of the bears will be decided within the next few months. In the meanwhile, check out this gallery of species that have been delisted over the years as their populations have recovered including Peregrine Falcons, Alligators and Gray Whales.
A musician plays his violin next to a depiction of La Santa Muerte (Saint Death) at a shrine during Day of the Dead celebrations in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico. November 2, 2015.
Photo by Stringer Mexico
In PlosOne was published an article about a newly-named species of Giant Tortoise. This variety has a steeply rounded shell (others are somewhat flatter) with quite flared front and back edges. Most individuals also have a pair of thin white lines around the neck and mouth, looking like necklaces when seen head-on. The population, which suffered poaching up until a couple of decades ago, is believed to number no more than 400, with very few juveniles present. They live on the eastern slope of Santa Cruz Island and their closest genetic relationship is with tortoise from the eastern half of San Cristobal Island. A different, well-known species of tortoise lives on the south-western slope of Santa Cruz, so the big mystery is why haven’t they cross-bred, especially when populations were larger than at present.
January 7th, 2015
One year since Charlie Hebdo mass shooting in Paris
© Jérôme Sessini / Magnum Photos
January 11 2015 Anti-Terror March in Paris
A recent study by John Alroy at Macquarie University in Australia suggests that about 200 frog extinctions have occurred and hundreds more will be lost over the next century, so we are on pace to create a mass extinction. Many factors are contributing to this alarming decline – habitat destruction and the introduction of the deadly chytrid fungus are the main culprits. At least another 6.9% of all frog species may be lost within the next century, even if there is no acceleration in the growth of environmental threats. That means that reptiles and amphibians are going extinct at 10,000 times the rate of other organisms!
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