invasive species
Robben Island rabbits on the run (M&G)
Friday, November 14th, 2008 | invasive species, rational thought | 1 Comment
Since it’s matric exam time, here’s a question to pop into the life sciences (formerly known as biology) paper. Problem: there’s an island in a bay, surrounded by cold, rough, possibly shark-infested waters; you’re 8km away on the mainland with a box of tortoises. How do you get those tortoises on to the island without using human technology?
Solution: either Natalie du Toit swims them across for you — but she’d have to do it without shark spotters or a boat for backup, or you could wait for the next ice age. This’d drop the sea level as water gets sucked up into polar ice caps. Your tortoises could simply walk across the new muddy flats and colonise the island themselves. Once the ice age was over, the water would trickle back into the bay, cutting the island off from the mainland once more. Any animals trapped on the island would have the place to themselves. They’d be the true original residents.
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