Restocking North America's Large Animals: Crazy Ecologists' Plan

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around a proposal to reintroduce large animals, such as elephants, lions, and camels, to North America, aiming to recreate ecosystems similar to those existing over 13,000 years ago. Participants express varying opinions on the feasibility and rationale behind this ecological plan, touching on themes of extinction, natural selection, and the implications of such a rewilding effort.

Discussion Character

  • Debate/contested
  • Conceptual clarification

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants question the rationale behind reintroducing large mammals, suggesting that North America has adapted fine without them since their extinction.
  • Concerns are raised about the safety of reintroducing large carnivores, with one participant expressing a desire to keep them away from humans.
  • There is a humorous tone in some responses, with references to the absurdity of the proposal and personal anecdotes about past experiences with animals.
  • Some participants express skepticism about the motivations of ecologists, suggesting a political or ideological bias in their proposals.
  • One participant reflects on the historical presence of large mammals in the Los Angeles basin, noting the amazement at their existence alongside humans.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants generally disagree on the merits of the proposal, with some expressing strong opposition and others questioning the motivations behind it. No consensus is reached regarding the feasibility or desirability of reintroducing these animals.

Contextual Notes

Participants express a range of opinions that reflect personal beliefs and experiences rather than scientific consensus. The discussion includes humor and skepticism, which may influence the perspectives shared.

TheStatutoryApe
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l To Restock North America's Large Animals
Elephants, lions, cheetahs and camels could one day roam the western US under a proposal to recreate North American landscapes as they existed more than 13,000 years ago, when humans first encountered them.

The plan, proposed in a commentary in Nature and co-authored by 13 ecologists and conservation biologists, would help enrich a North American ecosystem that was left almost devoid of large mammals at the end of the Pleistocene period. It would also help preserve wildlife that faces the threat of extinction in Africa and Asia.

Between 50,000 and 10,000 years ago, 97 of 150 genera of large mammals disappeared from around the world. Although a warming climate played its part, the consensus is that over-hunting by humans probably had a significant role.

In North America, by about 13,000 years ago, humans were leaving evidence of big-game hunting using sophisticated stone tools. This hunting probably helped to drive many animals to extinction, including North American mammoths and mastodons, lions, cheetahs, camelops (a relative of the modern camel), horses and asses...continued
http://www.newscientist.com/article.ns?id=dn7862
What are they thinking?! Is this really as idiotic an idea at is sounds to me?
 
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TheStatutoryApe said:
What are they thinking?! Is this really as idiotic an idea at is sounds to me?

This hunting probably helped to drive many animals to extinction, including North American mammoths...and asses.

There are still plenty of asses around.
 
My high school must have been a habitat for asses
 
Yeah, these animals went exstinct and guess what? We're just fine without them. Until an alien probe comes and starts destroying Earth because it can't find any camels to talk too, America stays as it is now.
 
Entropy said:
Yeah, these animals went exstinct and guess what? We're just fine without them. Until an alien probe comes and starts destroying Earth because it can't find any camels to talk too, America stays as it is now.

Thats like saying let's kill all the stupid people because the world wouldn't be worse off. I agree.
 
TheStatutoryApe said:
What are they thinking?! Is this really as idiotic an idea at is sounds to me?
Apparently they aren't content with natural selection. :bugeye:
 
Camels, fine. But keep the large carnivores far away from me and my tasty flesh. :rolleyes:
 
I remember going to the Page Museum a few years back and being amazed that there actually used to be things like giant camels, mammoths, and sabertooth cats, in the Los Angeles basin at the same time as humans, especially considering that it wasn't really all that long ago. Still, I don't think there would be much room for them at this point.
 
Ecologist are normallyl considerd allays of the communist party, but these guys are just plane nuts .
 
  • #10
Moonbear said:
Apparently they aren't content with natural selection. :bugeye:

Fundamentalist Christian ecologists :wink:
 

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