[dohboi]

We seem to have been annihilators of other major species since we first distinguished ourselves from other species:

Unprecedented wave of large-mammal extinctions linked to prehistoric humans.

Apr 19, 2018. U of Nebraska-Lincoln. https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2 ... 141536.htm

Summary:

Homo sapiens, Neanderthals and other recent human relatives may have begun hunting large mammal species down to size — by way of extinction — at least 90,000 years earlier than previously thought, according to a new study. The magnitude and scale of the extinction wave surpassed any other recorded during the last 66 million years, according to the study.
By contrast, the research team found little support for the idea that climate change drove size-biased extinctions during the last 66 million years. Large and small mammals seemed equally vulnerable to temperature shifts throughout that span, the authors reported.

"The anthropological record indicates that Homo sapiens are identified as a species around 200,000 years ago, so this occurred not very long after the birth of us as a species. It just seems to be something that we do...

Just something we do...obliterate millions of of other species...

This kind of thing reinforces my deep-paleo-conservatism: that the main effort anyone who has any ethics and awareness is to limit human capacity as much as possible (especially, of course, the capacity of those now with the most power). This is pretty much the polar opposite of the central point of modernity since at least the Enlightenment--to increase human capacity.

[diemos]

We seem to have been annihilators of other major species since we first distinguished ourselves from other species:

Unprecedented wave of large-mammal extinctions linked to prehistoric humans.

Apr 19, 2018. U of Nebraska-Lincoln. https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2 ... 141536.htm

Summary:

Homo sapiens, Neanderthals and other recent human relatives may have begun hunting large mammal species down to size — by way of extinction — at least 90,000 years earlier than previously thought, according to a new study. The magnitude and scale of the extinction wave surpassed any other recorded during the last 66 million years, according to the study.
By contrast, the research team found little support for the idea that climate change drove size-biased extinctions during the last 66 million years. Large and small mammals seemed equally vulnerable to temperature shifts throughout that span, the authors reported.

"The anthropological record indicates that Homo sapiens are identified as a species around 200,000 years ago, so this occurred not very long after the birth of us as a species. It just seems to be something that we do...

Just something we do...obliterate millions of of other species...

This kind of thing reinforces my deep-paleo-conservatism: that the main effort anyone who has any ethics and awareness is to limit human capacity as much as possible (especially, of course, the capacity of those now with the most power). This is pretty much the polar opposite of the central point of modernity since at least the Enlightenment--to increase human capacity.

What can you say, we and everything else, are the victims of our own success.

[KaiserJeep]

So we have yet another theory being offered to explain the disappearance of mega fauna. Let it join the Younger Dryas impact hypothesis and the mega-volcano-induced climate change hypothesis.

One constant about scientists, bless their greedy little hearts, is that they will always be proposing theories that they will always insist need to be investigated. The research grants for this must always come from the greater body of taxpaying citizens, and the resulting academic research will keep these science geeks gleefully occupied with their obsessions, while the rest of us work for our own (and their) living.

What's even better, of course, is tying such a theory into current political policy, such as the AGW/CC hypothesis and theory. Lots of bucks will come your way if you can do that.

[dohboi]

"scientists, bless their greedy little heart"

Projection much?

[Plantagenet]

Scientists and engineers traditionally make fun of each other. Engineers are narrow minded slide rule nerds who struggle to build simple and mundane things after the scientists had all the glorious fun of figuring out how the universe works and how life evolved and how the physics of buildings and machines operate and even how to make slide rules. No wonder Engineers are jealous.

Cheers!

[Newfie]

Depends upon how you define “capacity.” Seems to me we are lacking capacity for empathy.

[KaiserJeep]

I had to laugh, my first "Engineering job" while still an undergraduate was designing MASER amplifiers for ultra-sensitive radio telescopes, at the behest of my Astronomy professor. It would have been an interesting job, the stars did then and still do fascinate me, but the pay was terrible.

[dohboi]

https://www.theguardian.com/environment ... tudy-finds
One in eight bird species is threatened with extinction


Report on the state of the world’s birds reveals a biodiversity crisis driven by intensive farming, with once-common species such as puffins and snowy owls now at risk

In all, 74% of 1,469 globally threatened birds are affected primarily by farming. Logging, invasive species and hunting are the other main threats.

“Each time we undertake this assessment we see slightly more species at risk of extinction – the situation is deteriorating and the trends are intensifying,” said Tris Allinson, senior global science officer for BirdLife International, which produced the report. “The species at risk of extinction were once on mountaintops or remote islands, such as the pink pigeon in Mauritius. Now we’re seeing once widespread and familiar species – European turtle doves, Atlantic puffins and kittiwakes – under threat of global extinction.”.....

.....According to the report, at least 40% of bird species worldwide are in decline, with researchers blaming human activity for the losses. After farming, logging is a key factor in declines of 50% of the most globally endangered species, followed by invasive species (39%), hunting and trapping (35%), climate change (33%) and residential and commercial development (28%). The illegal killing of birds – usually because of traditional hunting – results in an estimated 12 to 38 million individual birds dying or being taken each year in the Mediterranean region alone.