RESEARCH TIES HUMAN ACTS TO HARMFUL RATES OF SPECIES EVOLUTION
Humans may or may not know it, but doing things such as hunting and fishing are working against species health. For example, after decades of heavy fishing, the cod being caught were reproducing at younger ages and beginning to be much smaller. A study shows that rates of evolution are three times higher in species subject to harvest selection than in any other species. The organisms are reaching reproductive age about 25% sooner than they had 30 years ago. Researchers say that reproducing at a younger age and smaller size let these organisms leave their offspring before they were caught or killed. Dr. Darimont says, "Targeting large, reproducing adults and taking so many of them in a population in a given year--that creates this ideal recipe for rapid trait change.”
Opinion/ Reflection
Who knew natural selection was occurring to the atlantic cod only because we catch them! I always thought catching them was not THAT harmful, they live and then die. But it shocked me to hear that since all the big fish are being caught, the little fish are left in the pond. And since the little fish are left in the pond, they are forced to reproduce and keep their species going. It is actually very sad.
Questions:
- Who should be focusing their time on saving these cod?
- What can we as a community do to save these species from getting younger and smaller?
- Do you think this species will become extinct in a matter or time?
- How does the extinction of this animal affect humans?
Opinion/Reflection
ReplyDeleteWow, this is a great article for what we're learning about in class right now! It really shows how much influence humans have in natural selection. We chose whether an organism lives or dies, and obviously Cod are one of those organisms. I definitely believe we should have a law that prohibits catching too many of a certain kind of fish, so we can allow those types of fish to reproduce and grow.
"Do you think this species will become extinct in a matter of time?"
I believe that if we keep going at the rate we are now, there is definitely a possibility that they will become in risk of endangerment, and possibly endangered. Though this species may not become extinct in our life time, it is definitely possible that they may become extinct in our children's lifetime.
Opinion/Reflection:
ReplyDeleteI am really glad Perie picked this article because I have been wondering a lot about how we affect animals. I understood that fishing could not be the best thing because we are killing fish that are apart of the food chain, but I never guessed it was that harmful. The fact that organisms we hunt have to reproduce at a younger age just to make sure they have kids really makes me want to cry. Fishing is a lot of fun but I do think that after you catch a fish you should put it back in the water and let it survive.
Other Questions:
Do you think fishing and hunting should be illegal?
Could the organisms reproducing earlier be harmful to them?
What laws are already stated about hunting and fishing, if any?
I enjoyed reading this summary Perie! It was very appropriate to write because we are learning about natural selection right now. Catching fish is something that most people do in their daily lives. We do not think about the long term affects it may have on the fish. I made me cringe to think about the little fish having to reproduce. I think we should be more careful about how much we fish. Fishing can be a fun hobby, but like Rachel said, "you should put it back in the water and let it survive."
ReplyDelete"How does the extinction of this animal affect humans?"
Cod is a common fish that we eat. If the cod goes to extinction that is one less fish we will never be able to eat again. Also, it will cause a break in the food chain and may cause other fish that eat the cod to go endangered.
Opinion/Reflection
ReplyDeleteThis was a very interesting article! Not only does it surprise me that other fish can be affected other than the ones that are actually caught, but I feel really bad for them. It's almost like secondhand smokers; they haven't done anything, yet they still get bad results because of it. Making their offspring be produced younger and younger means that they could possibly be weaker and smaller with each generation. That, in turn, could actually affect the health of the entire ecosystem surrounding those fish. It's a bad system, and unless we change our habits, it won't change.
"What can we as a community do to keep these fish from getting younger and smaller?
We can change what fish we catch more often than others. Though it may sound strange, catching a larger variety of fish with less concentration on one particular type could be beneficial in this case. It would mean that the biodiversity in that area wouldn't be as damaged, and the smaller AND larger fish would have a better chance of oassing on good genes to their offspring.