Scientists recently examined 74 mammal and bird species from all over the world and they discovered traits that a lot of these animals facing have in common.
A EurekAlert report said that when it comes to the extinction of animals and plants, humans are the number reason. Whether directly by means of habitat destruction or over-harvesting or indirectly by means of introduced pests and climate change, researchers are driving what is frequently described as an "extinction crisis."
When invertebrates, in particular, are factored in, some contend that this period is in the early phase of the sixth mass extinction.
The other five, being Earth-altering eras like Cretaceous-tertiary or dinosaur extinction, were more than 70 percent of species had been wiped out.
Many now ask if there are traits that make animals more vulnerable to dying out if it will help identify the species that are most at risk.
43 Mammals Studied
As mentioned, in the study published in PLOS ONE, the researchers discovered traits that many of the species facing extinction have in common.
For mammals, the findings are possibly not quite surprising. However, for birds, there are certain factors that don't appear to follow a simple path of logic.
Specifically, for the 43 mammals examined, the study investigators discovered that generation time, the duration of turning over from one generation to the next, was favorably linked to "how endangered animal was."
This means that if a mammal is living longer and has babies at a later age, on top of a few other factors such as survival and reproductive health, and carrying capacity, it is more possible to be nearer extinction.
The researchers point out in their work that such a finding makes sense. A population of animals will take longer from an effect like a drought for example, if they have several offspring, and it's taking longer for them to turn sexually mature. In addition, it can impact how rapidly a population or species is adapting as well, to environmental change.
31 Bird Species Examined
For the 31 bird species examined in this research, the most essential traits that affect their risk of extinction were growth rate and reproduction. More so, there is a relation between the two.
Therefore, birds growing rapidly, and those with a lot of offspring were more possible to head toward the endangered or crucially "endangered end of conservation spectrum." Certainly, though, birds that produce a lot of young would have a higher chance to survive as a species, many in the field would react.
The study authors were uncertain of the reason this was not the case. They said the findings were surprising. Dr. Judy Che-Castaldo hypothesized that stealing may be a factor in the drop for faster-growing birds in the research.
If possible, added Che-Castaldo, it is plausible that the threats that act on bird species, in particular, are somewhat linked to such traits. For instance, as specified in a similar ABC News report, the species that have high reproductive rates are susceptible as well too, or desirable for collection.
Feeding on Grass Seeds
In Australia, reports have it that bird species that feed on grass seeds are frequently decreasing in number, or have declined. In many circumstances, habitats like open woodlands or savannah might seem to be somewhat intact although cattle grazing, as well as the proliferation of feral grass species, would mean native grass seed-abundance is not present.
Ecologist and threatened species researcher April Reside explained, it is modifying the grass layer through graze and changed fire or regimes. She added, habitat alteration has affected Gouldian flinch, squatter pigeon, black-throat finch, and golden-shouldered parrot among others, and of course, the paradise parrot, the lone mainland bird extinction in the country was "a grass-seed-eating parrot.
With such a finding, the researchers expressed hope that their work can be used to help those in the field intercede in species at danger of extinction according to their life-history traits, explained Dr. Che-Castaldo.
Related information about extraordinary extinct plants is shown on Freedom City's YouTube video below:
RELATED ARTICLE : Endangered Seals Recieve Government Protection and Funding Until 2025
Check out more news and information on Endangered Species in Science Times.
