Maybe ‘diversity’ is the key to ‘extinction’...................
I could have told them that and saved them a lot of money. Evolution produces new species. Old species die out when they are no longer viable in an environment.
Darwin’s book was named “On the Origin of Species”.
Species become extinct and new ones appear all the time.
I tell people all the time, “stop trying to save the trees. The trees will simply talk to one another and develop chainsaw resistant bark when the time is right.” Such is the lunacy of evolution.
As some ancient astronaut theorist believe.
Amniotes?
You mean it’s OK to not give a flying Obama about the snail darter?
Theory of the month. Stay tuned for the next theory.
I’m surprised this is presented as such a big surprise. I thought it was conventional wisdom that the extinction event that killed off the dinosaurs was what made it possible for mammals to develop. That this should also happen among more closely related groups doesn’t seem like that much of a stretch.
So, mass extinction is a good thing then!
“Punctuated Equilibrium” is not a new concept.
Species are relatively stable until some perturbation of their ecosystem disrupts the viability of the dominant lifeforms in whatever niche they fill.
Extinction leaves a gap which is rapidly (in geologic time) filled by evolution of previously stable local or invasive populations, i.e. advantageous mutations allow a new group to take over the role left open by the extinctions.
Think dinosaur extinctions opening the door for mammals to become dominant in a world where reptiles previously occupied the apex roles.
(Also think the rapid extinction of Christianity in Europe, allowing a wave of invasive predators intent on Conquest and extinction of everything European or Christian.)
'Truly amazing' scientific discovery on adaptation of Yakutian horses to cold