Re: K-T Theories

[Stan Friesen <swf@ElSegundoCA.ATTGIS.COM>]

>From: larrys@zk3.dec.com
 > 
 > This is neat.  I hadn't heard about such an effort.  How
 > many diseases?  Just one, or several? 

Just one particular disease, one that is particularly virulent.
I forget its name for sure, but it may be something like
myxomatosis.

 >  If the latter, then
 > we have what amounts to a model of Horner's proposed extinction
 > theory.  If the rabbits don't die out in that model, which I
 > presume is the case, then we might compare followup efforts at
 > eradication in order to determine the likelihood that incidental
 > effects, like, say, asteroidal impact, might succeed in pushing
 > a repressed dinosaur population over the edge.

Well, there are still rabbits in Australia, if that is what you mean.
They are often eradicated *locally*, but they tend to return in
the next population boom.

As far as hunting and such like goes - it turns out to be far less
effective than the diesease at controlling the rabbits.  Prior to
the arrival of the disease, rabbits were in a fair way to destroying
the ecology of Australia.  I have seen old photographs of literally
millions of rabbits being rounded up and killed.

This whole thing is a fairly classic story of ecological imbalance.
The rabbits were accidentally introduced into Australia (as pets?)
and soon become the most common animal on the continent, due to
a total lack of natural enemies and a nearly complete lack of any
of the common diseases that kept the rabbits in check in their
natural habitat.

A great many college texts on ecology cover the story.

swf@elsegundoca.attgis.com              sarima@netcom.com

The peace of God be with you.