Re: extinction

[binder@zk3.dec.com (Ut res per me meliores fiant)]

> The other theories, eg. disease,
> don't make much sense.

Actually, taken as real-world events in combination with one another,
they do.  As Stan Friesen points out, extinctions have manifold causes.
Disease is an especially interesting one; since, as you say, you have
not yet read _Hereses_ you will be unaware that there are documented
cases in recent times of just such a disease-driven extinction event,
although somewhat minor in scope.  (I don't have the book with me, else
I would cite.)

The point Bakker makes is not that a single dread killer disease wiped
out fauna and flora (not just dinosaurs) worldwide but rather that as
sea levels fell and several land bridges appeared where there were none
earlier, diseases to which native populations had built up millions of
years' worth of immunity would be suddenly released on populations not
immune to them as various populations intermingled across bridges.  One
similar instance I can recall is the diseases Columbus et al. carried
with them to the New World.

-dick

>>>>>  Hic sententiae mihi solo sunt, non Conlegioni Armorum Digitalum.  <<<<<
Digital Equipment Corporation           DEC Easynet: VORTEX::CALIPH::BINDER
110 Spit Brook Road, ZKO3-3/Y32         uucp:        ...!decvax.dec.com!binder
Nashua, NH  03062-9987                  Internet:    binder@zk3.dec.com