Why do people and large animals dry out when they live on islands? (9 photos). Evolution of animals isolated on islands Is the “island rule” a valid argument?
POSITION
about the regional team environmental tournament
"Time Machine"
- 1. Goal and tasks
The goal is to attract students to research activities in the field of ecology.
– education of a careful and humane attitude towards nature;
– developing in students the ability to think logically, analyze and solve environmental problems;
– formation of environmental literacy.
- 2. Participants of the Tournament
Teams of students from educational organizations of municipal districts and urban districts take part in the Tournament Nizhny Novgorod region. The number of team members is 6 people. The age of the participants is from 14 to 18 years.
- 3. Tournament content
Teams present solutions to environmental problems in the form of three presentations. The title page of each presentation must contain: last names, first names, patronymics and dates of birth of all authors, last name, first name and patronymic of the team leader, full name and address of the educational organization, contact phone number, e-mail.
Technical requirements for the presentation: number of slides 10-15, file format - .ppt or .pptx; presence of media files (audio, video) and hyperlinks. The executable file must run under the Windows XP operating system.
Tasks for the Tournament:
- 1. "The ark". In 2526, a star system was discovered in the M13 galaxy, in which one of the planets turned out to be very similar to Earth in most parameters, but there were no signs of life on it. A decision was made to colonize this planet. People can equip only one ship for this mission, the number of seats on which is very limited. You need to compile a minimum list of species of living beings that will be transported to the planet. What considerations will you be guided by? Will there be enough of these species to create a biosphere on the planet being developed?
- 2. "Kingdom of Hades". For animals - roglobionts, caves are a permanent habitat. What ecological and physiological adaptations are necessary for a vertebrate to become a permanent cave dweller? Suggest which representatives of which order of vertebrates, not currently living in caves, would most likely become troglobionts and indicate the characteristics that would allow them to switch to such a lifestyle.
3. "Alice on the Island." Animal species that find themselves isolated on islands often undergo changes in body size during evolution, both upward (the giant Maltese swan) and downward (the dwarf Maltese elephant). What factors predict whether an organism will grow or shrink during such an evolution? What other terrestrial and aquatic habitats show similar evolutionary effects? Why does this effect most often apply to animals and not to other living organisms?
- 4. Procedure and timing of the Tournament
4.1. The tournament is held in two stages:
Qualifying;
4.2. Tournament dates:
Istage(qualifying): February 2018. Takes place in GBUDO TsRTDIYU NO.
To participate in the Tournament, the organizing committee created by the body exercising management in the field of education of the municipal district and urban district, before March 1, 2018, sends an email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You must have JavaScript enabled to view it.
(GBUDO CRTDiYU NO, department of environmental education and upbringing) application (Appendix 1), consent to the processing of personal data of a minor (Appendix 2), consent to the non-commercial use of competitive works (Appendix 3) and team presentations.
Based on the results of an expert assessment of the content of the presentations, the composition of participants in the second stage of 9 teams is formed. By March 28, 2018, educational organizations whose teams have passed the qualifying stage are sent an invitation to participate in the II stage of the Tournament.
4.3. The Tournament final is held in three rounds:
The first team presents the solution to one environmental task in the form of a short illustrated report (report time 5-7 minutes);
The second team plays the role of an opponent (critically evaluates the completeness, correctness and validity of the presented solution of the rival team);
In subsequent rounds, the teams switch roles and play out the following tasks.
The captain directs the team's actions.
All actions of team members are evaluated by the jury.
- 5. Summing up and awarding
Based on the results of the Tournament, the following are awarded:
In the finals, the team is the winner (1st place), the teams are the winners (2nd and 3rd places).
All teams receive a certificate of participation.
___________________________
ANNEX 1
to the regulations on the regional
team environmental tournament
"Time Machine"
Application
to participate in the regional team environmental tournament "Time Machine""
(body exercising management in the field of education of a municipal district, urban district)
The person responsible for organizing and conducting the regional team environmental tournament “Time Machine” in the municipal district/urban district (full name, position, contact phone number),_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
APPENDIX 2
to the regulations on the regional command environmental
tournament "Time Machine"
Consent to the processing of personal data of a minor
I,________________________________________________________________,
(last name, first name, patronymic - mother, father, guardian, etc.)
residing at ________________________________________
place of registration _________________________________________________
name of identity document: _____________, series ________ number______________ issued _______________________________
date of issue _____________, I express my consent to the processing of personal data _____________________________________________,
(last name, first name, patronymic, date of birth of a minor), whose legal representative I am, as well as my following personal data: last name, first name, patronymic, year, month, date, place of birth, registration address, passport data (hereinafter - personal data ) GBU DO "Center for the Development of Creativity of Children and Youth of the Nizhny Novgorod Region"(hereinafter referred to as the Center), for registration of all necessary documents, required in the process of holding the regional team environmental tournament “Time Machine” (hereinafter referred to as the Tournament), as well as subsequent events associated with the Tournament, taking into account current legislation.
I reserve the right, in the event of unlawful use of my personal data and the personal data of the person whose official representative I am, to withdraw consent by submitting a written statement to the Center.
The smaller the island, the more monotonous the living conditions are, as a rule. Both of these reasons explain the direct relationship that is observed between the size of the island and the number of species that make up its biota. This can be illustrated using the example of nesting birds (Table 7).
Table 7
Number of breeding bird species on islands of various sizes
The number of species living on the island also depends on other reasons, primarily on the age of the island and the degree of its isolation - distance from the mainland.
A necessary condition for speciation on islands is isolation. If more and more individuals of the same species are continuously brought to the island, then as a result of crossing individuals that previously lived here with individuals that have recently appeared, some stabilization of the characteristics of the species is observed, and the process of speciation sharply slows down. The process of speciation is also associated with the natural features of the islands. On high islands, where a significant diversity of ecological conditions is observed in a small space, the possibility of the emergence of new subspecies and species is higher than on low islands, given the uniformity of their natural features.
The absence of a number of life forms and systematic groups on the islands as part of their biotas has led to the fact that some species, when arriving on such islands, undergo so-called adaptive radiation: the descendants of one species that ends up on an island or archipelago change greatly. Thus, the ancestor of the flowerbirds Drepanididae, the American finch, having penetrated the Hawaiian Islands, met no competitors here and gave rise to the finch-like, honeybug-like, pika-like, woodpecker-like and grosbeak-like forms. Several genera and many species of flowerworts arose and occupied a variety of ecological niches, making it impossible for such adaptive radiation to recur in later times. Similar examples of adaptive radiation are provided by palm trees on the island of Cuba and some insects and mollusks on the Hawaiian Islands.
An example of the same adaptive radiation, but not going so far, is the pohutukawa tree (Metrosideros kermadecensis) on Raoul Island (Kermadec Archipelago). Depending on the conditions of the habitat, it forms forms that have not yet reached the level
species differences. So, this is a squat, pressed to the ground shrub in the lower parts of the slopes exposed to the action of the ocean surf; low upright shrub on volcanic pumice at the bottom of the volcanic caldera; a straight-trunked tree in dense stands, a giant tree with outstretched horizontal branches in sparse stands, and finally, an epiphyte and strangler tree when settling on tree trunks.
In other cases, as a result of speciation, monotypic genera and even families arise on islands. Such are the degeneria tree from the degeneriaceae family Degeneriaceae on the island of Fiji, and the kagu bird on the islands of New Caledonia.
A striking feature of island biotas is a large number of endemics, often of high taxonomic rank. The number of endemics and the level of endemism depend on the size of the islands, their distance from the continent, the diversity of environmental conditions and the duration of isolation.
On the islands, deviations from the usual appearance of representatives of certain groups are often observed: gigantism or, conversely, dwarf size. The reasons for this are unclear. The islands are often characterized by flightless birds and insects. For birds, the main role in the emergence of flightless species is played by the absence of mammals on the islands that could exterminate them; for insects - drift of flying species into the ocean by wind and hurricanes. To survive, insects must either have fast flight, or, conversely, lose the ability to fly, or hide in secluded corners when the wind blows. On many islands, even small in area, there are many species characterized by fluttering, slow flight - lacewings, mosquitoes, bedbugs, small day butterflies, and moths. Their abundance is facilitated by the peculiarities of their lifestyle associated with the ability to shelter from gusts of wind. Consequently, natural selection should have promoted the survival of flightless individuals and ultimately led to the formation of forms that had lost even the organs of flight.
Finally, islands contribute to the preservation of primitive (archaic) forms. Examples include the New Zealand tuatteria, an extremely primitive genus of insectivores such as the Antilles ale-tooth, the Madagascan ferret cat, or the fossa. This is explained by the fact that in small isolated ecosystems the existing structure of communities is protected by external geographical barriers from the invasion of new, more active groups that have won the struggle for existence, which on the continents, successfully settling, invade previously formed ecosystems. It has been noted that isolation on the islands contributes to the divergence of forms, i.e. geographical speciation, but
at the same time, the evolutionary process here proceeds more slowly than on the mainland.
The island biota in general, apart from endemism, is characterized by poverty. This is explained by extinction and the difficulty of immigrants entering the islands. The number of species is subject to more or less significant fluctuations from year to year. But over large areas, these rises and falls in numbers can occur only in some part of the species’ range, while in one place the number of a species falls, in another it rises. Thus, even if all individuals of a known species in one part of the range die out, it will be repopulated relatively quickly from adjacent parts. On islands, the species can easily disappear completely. It is clear that the smaller the island's territory, the less chance for the species to survive.
Isolation of biotas individual islands- the reason for their easy violation when natural conditions are changed by man. Deforestation and their replacement with plantations of both woody and herbaceous plants are often irreversible on the islands, especially the replacement of forests with fields. Therefore, when giving examples of species extinction under human influence, we should first of all mention the inhabitants of the islands: the Steller’s (sea) cow that lived off the coast of the Commander Islands, the wingless guillemot (Newfoundland Island), the moa (New Zealand), etc.
However, the most catastrophic for the fauna and flora of many islands is the introduction by humans (conscious or unconscious) of new species to these islands. For example, goats on many islands have destroyed many plant species. Flora o. St. Helena lost a significant number of species of trees previously characteristic of it because of goats; the same thing was noted on the Kermadec Islands and others. Currently, detachments of hunters have been sent to many islands, the goal of which is to sharply reduce the number of these animals.
Herbivorous marsupial opossum, introduced from Australia to New Zealand, destroyed forests in many areas of this country. Significant harm to the fauna of the islands is caused by rats that get there. They destroy eggs and chicks of birds nesting on the ground. So, on o. Raul (Kermadec archipelago), they completely exterminated the Kermadec petrel, which now survives only on a few small islands where rats have not penetrated. To combat rats, which caused significant damage to agriculture, in particular the cultivation of sugar cane and rice, mongoose was brought to Cuba and Fiji. However, not limiting itself to eating rats, this animal sharply reduced the number of birds nesting on the ground; in Cuba it almost destroyed the endemic species of the gaptooth, and in Fiji it reduced the number of the Fijian iguana to a minimum.
Pigs cause enormous devastation in the animal population of the islands. In New Zealand they exterminated the representative
monotypic endemic order - hatteria, preserved only in small islands, lying off the coast of New Zealand; almost exterminated flightless birds - kiwi and owl parrot, etc.
The introduction of European red deer to New Zealand has led to the destruction of forests over a large area. It turned out that it is very difficult to exterminate this animal introduced by man. The bonuses assigned for each killed animal did not help either. Currently, New Zealand has begun to create reindeer farms with a brutal fight against the deer that live freely on the island.
From the above it follows that any introduction to the island of species that did not previously exist here must be carefully thought out. It is always necessary to remember the vulnerability of the nature of the islands and the difficulty, if not complete impossibility, of eliminating the consequences of such actions.
Everyone knows that the flora and fauna of the islands is often very, very different from that on the continent. And the example of the hobbits, who degraded on the wonderful island of Flores to an almost bestial state, is quite indicative. (Recall that Flores man, the so-called hobbit, came to the Indonesian island of Flores approximately 95 thousand years ago and lived there until 12 thousand years ago, degrading in the conditions of a warm and fertile island to the level of australopithecus with a brain volume of only 400 sq. cm).
“Ever since the time of Darwin, who studied the Galapagos finches, remote islands have been considered unique “evolutionary laboratories” in which species undergo rapid and sometimes very sophisticated evolutionary changes,” writes Alexander Markov in his book “The Birth of Complexity. Evolutionary biology today: unexpected discoveries and new questions."
Thus, large animals, finding themselves on such an isolated island with depleted vegetation, often become smaller, while small ones, on the contrary, become giants. And in a very short period of time. At least, this is the case with many species.
In 2006, Virginia Millien of McGill University (Canada) conducted a study comparing data on 86 island and 84 mainland mammal populations. For each of them, the rate of evolutionary changes in one or more dimensional traits was calculated over a certain time period.
Millien came to the conclusion that morphological evolution on the islands is indeed faster. However, this is noticeable only at intervals of less than 45 thousand years. As the time period increases, the differences between mainland and island populations become statistically insignificant.
Such differences cannot be explained by the fact that some animals are more common on the islands than on the mainland, and vice versa. “It turned out that the pace of evolution is not “phylogenetically conservative,” writes Markov. “For example, species that have evolved more slowly than others on a continent will not necessarily continue to behave in a similar way on an isolated island.”
According to the author, mammals that find themselves in the conditions of an isolated island very quickly adapt to them, and this sometimes leads to serious changes in the size and proportions of the animals’ bodies. Due to the high “speed” of these transformations, scientists are unable to detect transitional forms between island endemics and their mainland ancestors. However, after the changes occur, the rate of evolution of island animals usually slows down - in connection with this, it was not possible to identify differences between the rates of evolution over an interval of over 45 thousand years.
The so-called fragmentation of natural habitats (due to human fault as well) can lead to animals finding themselves in conditions similar to those of an isolated island. In this case, we should also expect rapid changes according to the “island” scenario. This situation has occurred, for example, with 25 species of mammals in Denmark whose bodies have evolved dramatically over the past 200 years.
“The rate of evolution can increase threefold or more in just a couple of decades. It turns out that under conditions of growing anthropogenic pressure on natural ecosystems, many animals familiar to us may begin to change in the most unexpected and rapid way,” Markov sums up.
Islands are like cells—animals or plants cannot simply jump to another habitat. Therefore, sometimes they remain isolated from the outside world. Whether it is a quirk of evolution or human intervention, there are still islands on Earth inhabited by a single or dominant animal species.
The small island of Okunoshima, located in the Inland Sea of Japan, is very popular among tourists, as its only inhabitants are wild rabbits, which are not at all afraid of people. In the 20th century, Okunoshima was home to a chemical weapons plant, and its location was so secret that the island was removed from maps.
According to one version, rabbits on this island were used to test chemical weapons, and after the program ended they were released into the wild. According to another version, a group of schoolchildren released several rabbits onto the island, which then multiplied and occupied the entire territory of Okunoshima. Tourists visiting the island bring food for the rabbits and even leave water for them, since the water on Okunoshima is polluted by the factory.
In the 1970s, scientists from the New York Blood Research Center opened a laboratory for the study of viruses in Liberia. A medical research center called the New York Blood Center was looking for a vaccine for several diseases, so wild chimpanzees were used as test subjects, since human DNA is 99% identical to that of primates.
In 2005, the research facility was closed and the remaining chimpanzees were released into the wild. Since the New York Blood Center was located on an island in a winding river, and due to the fact that chimpanzees cannot swim, the primates remained cut off from the outside world. When the project was closed, its director promised to further support animals infected with viruses, but this did not happen. Now local residents and charities are providing support to abandoned chimpanzees.
More commonly known as Pig Beach, this is an uninhabited spit of sand in the Exuma region of the Bahamas. Wild pigs live here and are not at all afraid of people. They can swim up to a tourist boat without fear to beg for some treat. There is no consensus on how the pigs got to this place. Some believe that the animals ended up on the beach after a long-ago shipwreck. Today the pigs have no reason to worry - they have become a landmark of this place, and no one is making an attempt on their lives.
Rat Island, part of the Aleutian Islands in Alaska, owes its name to the sailors of a Japanese ship that was shipwrecked in the late 1700s. Desert Island was instantly colonized by ship rats - the animals quickly began to destroy the local ecosystem, eating the eggs of birds living on the island. In 2007, the services sounded the alarm, after which in 2008 rat poison began to be dumped on the island for a week. The following year, the island was declared free of rodents, allowing some bird species to return to their breeding grounds.
Strictly speaking, there are several islands in Japan where there are more cats than people. One of these is famous island Tashiro, popularly known as "Cat Island".
A long time ago, silk production was established in this place, but at one point mice began to threaten production, as they destroyed silkworms, which play an important role in silk production. Without thinking twice, local residents began keeping cats, which in turn prevented the rodent population from growing. Over time, the younger generation began to leave Tashiro, and now there are about 100 people living on the island. local residents. The large population of cats has not gone away, but, on the contrary, continues to flourish.
Christmas Island is a small inhabited island in Indian Ocean, where the island's most famous resident is the red earth crab (Gecarcoidea natalis). This type of crustacean lives only on Christmas Island and its population is several million times higher than local population. Each year, during the land crab mating season, which runs from around mid-October to January, more than 100 million individuals of this species embark on a multi-day journey from the rain forests to the shores of the Indian Ocean. Many red land crabs move towards the coast to spawn. This event attracts many tourists, environmentalists and researchers.
To protect the crabs, special fences are built along the roads, as well as special ones. During the peak of migration, certain roads are closed and signs are installed that notify about the migration.
The island of Queimada Grande, also known as “Snake Island,” is located in the Atlantic Ocean 35 kilometers off the coast of Brazil. Queimada Grande is home to one of the most dangerous in the world- island bothrops.
The venom of this snake almost instantly causes tissue necrosis, blood destruction, acute kidney failure and internal bleeding. For this reason, the country's authorities prohibit visiting the island, which is included in the list of the most dangerous places Earth. And yet, despite the ban, Queimada Grande is popular with tourists: you can’t get to the island itself, of course, but guides take tourists by boat to the safest, maximum close quarters from the rocky shore. From this distance, anyone can see the balls of snakes hanging from the trees and covering the coastal rocks.
Madagascar is home to some unique and unusual species of fauna. The island is home to almost 25,000 species of wildlife, many of which are endangered. Over the past 2,000 years, Madagascar's biologically rich forests have been reduced by almost 90%, largely due to agriculture and other commercial activities such as logging.
The massive outbreak has brought several island animals to the brink of extinction. Lemurs, which exclusively inhabit Madagascar, are the most endangered and are listed on the Red List of Threatened Species. The bamboo lemur, named after its favorite food, is critically endangered because its habitat has been reduced to 4% of its original size.
Madagascar is located in the Indian Ocean on the southeast coast of Africa, and is the 4th largest island in the world. This is a place dominated by endemic species of animals and plants that are found nowhere else in the world. The island was isolated for several million years, allowing animals and plants to evolve and diversify in a small area.
About 170 million years ago, Madagascar was a landlocked territory within the continent of Gondwana. As a result of the movement of the earth's crust, Madagascar and India separated from South America and Africa, and then from Antarctica and Australia. Around 88 million years ago, India also separated from Madagascar, allowing animals on the island to evolve in relative isolation.
Lemurs
Lemurs are primates that look like an animal similar to a dog, cat and squirrel. They exhibit incredibly unique and exciting behavior, including singing sounds reminiscent of whales. Today in Madagascar there are more than thirty species of lemurs, ranging in size from the 25 g dwarf mouse lemur to the largest indri lemur weighing over 12 kg. Lemurs are one of the most endangered animals on the entire planet, and according to the IUCN Red List, they are considered critically endangered, with 22 species critically endangered; 48 species are endangered and 20 are vulnerable.
Fossa
The Fossa lives in the forests of Madagascar and is a close relative of the mongoose. It grows up to 1.8 m in length from tail to nose and weighs up to 12 kg. The animal has a slender body and looks more like a mongoose than a mongoose. The Fossa uses its long tail to move quickly through the trees. The animal is classified as a critically endangered species and is listed on the IUCN Red List due to its habitat loss. Today, less than 10% of Madagascar's original forest cover remains, which is also the only home of the fossa.
Madagascar comet
Madagascar comet ( Argema Mittrei) is one of the most beautiful butterflies in the world, found only in Madagascar. The wingspan can reach 20 cm. The insect has a bright yellow color and long “tails” on the lower wings. Females are wider, their wings are round, and their tail is shorter than that of males. Until now, these beautiful animals do not have protected status, and their population size has not been established.
Panther chameleon
The panther chameleon is endemic to Madagascar and other nearby islands. It has the most variety of colors of any chameleon and is most sought after by reptile traders. Like other chameleons, the panther chameleon has a raised nape. When hunting, it uses its tongue with a suction cup at the end. This species is least endangered.
Fantastic leaf-tailed gecko
Fantastic leaf-tailed gecko ( Uroplatus Phantasticus) is a stunning reptile that can camouflage itself in its environment. Its body is similar to dead leaves, which helps the animal hide from predators. The gecko is covered in patterned skin and its tail looks like it has been chewed by insects. All these features help it blend in well with the surrounding foliage. Fantastic leaf-tailed geckos vary widely in color, but they are generally brownish with some spots on the belly, which sets them apart from other similar species.
They are nocturnal reptiles with large eyes that are suitable for hunting insects in the dark. They also have sticky scales under their toes and strong claws that allow them to move quickly through trees. Geckos live in a specific habitat and are not tolerant of any changes. Because of his appearance Leaf-tailed geckos are beloved pets and are one of the best-selling species. IN Lately V wildlife There is a decline in population size.
Tomato frog
Also known as tomato narrowmouth frogs, these frogs are found only in Madagascar, mainly in the northwestern part of the island. As a rule, they lead a terrestrial lifestyle and are common in forested areas. Due to deforestation, their habitat has been destroyed, but they appear to adapt well to changed conditions and can be found in gardens and plantations.
There are three types of tomato frogs: Dazzophus antongilli, Dyscophus guineti And Dyscophus insularis. Of the three, D.antogilli is endangered due to deforestation and trapping for keeping as pets. These frogs mate during the rainy season, in shallow, slow-moving water. They are brightly colored and can secrete a nasty substance when threatened, although it is not toxic, it can irritate the mucous membrane.
Red foodie
Also called the Madagascar fody, this bird is native to Madagascar and other nearby islands such as Comoros, Seychelles and Mauritius, and more recently the species has been discovered as far away as the Arabian Peninsula. They grow to about 12.5-13.5 cm and weigh about 14-19 g. Males have bright plumage on the chest and head, while the wings, tail and eye area have dark feathers. The plumage varies widely from orange to yellowish, and during breeding the males molt and become olive-brown like the females. The species is least endangered.
Madagascar hissing cockroach
The Madagascar hissing cockroach is one of the most fascinating endemic animal species on the island. It has an oval shape and a shiny brown body without wings, but with a pair of raised horns in the males. During conflicts, these insects hiss, which is how they got their name. Unlike most insects, which create noise through body parts or vibration, the Madagascar cockroach hisses by contracting its abdomen and forcing air through its spiracles. The insects can live from two to five years and grow up to 5-7 cm in length.
Madagascar bat
The Madagascar bat is a nocturnal primate that lives primarily in trees. Their thumbs and long tails allow them to stay comfortable in trees while they use their echolocation to find food such as insects. They also have sensitive large ears and eyes that help them find food. Because of their bizarre appearance, they were considered a bad omen among the locals of Madagascar. The species is on the verge of extinction.
Madagascar long-eared owl
This bird has a body length of about 50 cm, making it the largest owl on the island. Females are usually larger than males. The owl is characterized by a brownish crown on the top of its head. She also has a brown facial disc. The Madagascar owl is primarily nocturnal. The species is least endangered.
Striped tenrec
The striped tenrec is common in the lowland northern and eastern parts of Madagascar. The animal has a long pointed snout, vestigial tail and limbs. The muzzle is black with yellow stripes, and the body is covered with spines. The striped tenrec is active both during the day and at night and feeds mainly on insects. The long muzzle is designed mainly for digging in the ground in search of prey. They can also feed on worms, small fish and even frogs. Tenrecs mainly breed in October and December depending on the availability of food. The gestation period is 58 days and the female can give birth to up to eight cubs. The species is of least concern.
Black mantella
Known as Mantella madagascariensis, the black mantella is a brightly colored frog with green, black, yellow or orange colors. The species is found only in eastern and central Madagascar. These frogs live in tropical forests bordering freshwater bodies. They can tolerate moderate temperatures between 24ºC and 27ºC during the day and slightly lower at night. The black mantella is a carnivorous animal that primarily feeds on insects. Frogs are active during the day, usually occupying small territories. The bright body color acts as a warning of danger to any predator. The species is in a vulnerable position.
