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For millions of years the planet has been changing and rearranging itself. Since life’s formation 3.5 billion years ago1 living organisms have been evolving and dying according to the environment they live in. An estimated 99% of all species that ever lived are now extinct1. That seems like a lot, but that has taken place over a period of millions of years. The selective process seems to have sped up over the last century. We seem to be losing both species and habitat at an alarming rate due to problems that are seemingly completely unrelated. The problem of accelerated natural selection may have one common thread throughout the globe though: us. The earth is two thirds water and much of that water is in the oceans. Mysterious, beautiful, and awe-inspiring creatures such as whales, cod, giant squid, and coral are ocean inhabitants. What is often not thought of are the tiny creatures the plankton that are the backbone of the ocean ecosystem. Over the last 45 years the oceans have increased in temperature by 2.7 degrees Fahrenheit6. In that 45 year time perios plankton has declined by 70%6, a frightening thought if you happen to require plankton for food. It is also frightening if you are a species that feeds on a species that eats planktonsuch as humans. Not only have plankton populations declined, but the population that is left is thought to be slowly dissolving. According to the January 2006 issue of Discover Magazine, higher carbon dioxide levels in the oceans have caused the oceans to become more acidic (2). The excess acidity is causing the plankton’s calcium shells to dissolve directly off of them. Global computer modeling does not predict a positive future for the basis of much of sea life2. The truly frightening reality is that as more developing countries are catching up to the western world model, more carbon dioxide is being pumped into the air3. More carbon dioxide means more dissolving of plankton shells and higher ocean temperatures. Plankton not only have these things to contend with, but also invasive species6, and the dilution of the salt water due to glacial melt both caused by global climate change7. Cultures, civilizations and our sustenance have depended on salt water bodies for food, transportation, and inspiration since the dawn of humanity. Unfortunately it has also been our dumping ground as well, the final home for both chemical agents and physical objects. Despite their size, the oceans of the planet are some of the most sensitive ecosystems on earth and can be severely affected be even minor changes. The story of the awe-inspiring migration of the Monarch butterfly or Danaus plexippus11 is well know throughout North and Central America. It travels 3000 km to breed, and have offspring travel the 3000 km back15 to breed again only to start the whole cycle over again. From grasslands to tropical forest, this is not a journey to be taken lightly. The Monarch needs a lot of help from other living things to complete it’s life cycle, but many of the butterfly's resources are dwindling. Every long journey starts with one step, or in the Monarch’s case, one flap. As with the butterfly is so small, it must make stops often and must find somewhere to eat and rest. In the last few years this has become more and more of a challenge. Commercial and housing development have destroyed much of the former habitats of the Monarch13 both at nesting sites and on their migration route. Pastures have been turned into parking lots and meadows have been turned into malls. No flowers grow in parking lots and malls so the Monarch must find another place to stop enroute. As well, roads are a hazard for butterflies. In a confrontation between a Monarch and a Mazda, the Mazda will win every time. If a Monarch miraculously manages to make it 3000 km into Mexico it isn’t sure what it will find there now. Systematic destruction of it’s wintering home by logging companies has been going on for years13. Mexican authorities have created a reserve where the Monarch winters but that does not mean the butterfly will be protected10. Tourists come in droves to see the insects, which has a negative impact on their home13. Monarch caterpillars feed on one main food source; milkweed9. Milkweed often grows in in agricultural areas13 and roadsides8. Because of the close proximity to farm fields it is often sprayed with pesticides13. Milkweed is also on Ontario’s noxious weed list8, and is actively sought out and destroyed. What does this mean for the Monarch? It is very simple, no milkweed, no butterfly. Another threat has arisen for the Monarch: genetically modified crops, particularily Bt corn12. This is a new genetically modified strain of corn that produces a toxin found in the soil bacteria Bacillus thuringiensis12. The danger is not the corn as much as the pollen the corn releases10. Airborne pollen containing Bt endotoxin finds it’s way onto milkweed plants that the Monarch feeds on10. Sometimes the Monarch caterpillars will ingest the pollen while eating the milkweed leaves with nasty results. A study testing the effects of the pollen on Monarch caterpillars that was reported in Nature magazine found that within four days, 44 percent of the caterpillars were dead, and the rest were small and lethargic. Larvae that were fed conventional pollen did fine10. Bt corn is being grown throughout North America. If this is the potential threat to the Monarch, imagine what it may do to other living things. Although the old saying says that a flap of a butterfly’s wings in Brazil will start a storm in Texas14, we may not have too many more storms in the coming years. The migrating Monarch population is under threat from all sides. Wild cats are some of the most revered and idolized creatures man has ever set eyes on. Almost every culture around the globe has a special place for them. When we look into their eyes we are reminded of our vulnerabilities and are in awe of their strength. Cats have been around in the same general form for approximately 40 million years18 and they embody the perfect predator. Many subspecies of wild cats have become extinct and over the last century but no individual wild cat species has become extinct in at least 2000 years19. Unfortunately we are on the cusp of losing another wild cat Lynx pardinus, the Iberian Lynx, a wild cat that has been on the endangered species list since 198617. With possibly only 100 or so left in the wild and a breeding program that has spawned only three kittens20 the loss of this big cat is completely down to us. Once common in the scrubby grasslands of Portugal and Spain, this cat is now restricted to the mountains of Spain20. The decimation of this cat is partially due to hunting, loss of habitat, but lack of prey is the most impactful reason for the population decline. Intensive hunting was an early reason the Lynx populations declined16. Road and dam building fragmented their habitat, separating breeding populations16. Intensive agriculture and intentional fire (16) further accelerated the decline of the Iberian lynx. The debilitating blow was inadvertently caused by a doctor in France16. A virus called Myxomatosis was introduced into the rabbit population by the doctor in the 1950’s to try and control the rabbit population in his garden16. The disease spread over to Spain and by the late 50’s, 95% of the rabbit population was dead16. The lynx population, whose main food source is rabbit, crashed. By the mid 1980’s the rabbit population seemed to recover, but another virus, VHD raised it’s deadly head, taking down the rabbits again16. Without a food source the lynx could no longer survive and the rabbit population has still not recovered16. Nature may end up having the final word on the future of the lynx. The Iberian lynx has such a small genetic pool with only 100 or so animals, all it would take now is for a virus to hit their population and extinction would be inevitable. Genetic instability and inbreeding could also cause problems for the lynx in the future. Hunting and traffic are also problems for the lynx16. People who are trying to hunt fox, but sadly the lynx is an unfortunate victim-by catch in their snares, and like the Monarch, it won’t win a battle on the road. For the lynx it isn’t just the death of an individual, it could be the death of a species. If we allow an animal as beautiful and important to us as the the Iberian lynx to become extinct, how can we think we can fix all the other problems we have created? We cannot as a species continue on the path we are taking. We are killing directly and indirectly other creatures through our actions. It seems it is only a matter of time before we end up killing ourselves in the same manner. Evolution and natural selection is beyond our control. We must be careful, because if we are not we might find that we are the next to be selected out of existence. If we were to be selected against, the rest of the life on earth would give a sigh of relief. References: General: 1. Timeline of Evolution. Retrieved January 19, 2006, from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_evolution Oceans: 2. Casselman, A. (January 2006). Greenhouse Gas Makes Oceans Acidic and Dissolves Marine Life. Discover Magazine, 42. 3. Seafriends: Summary of threats to the environment. Retrieved January 17, 2006, from: http://www.seafriends.org.nz/issues/threats.htm 4. US National Assessment of the Potential Consequences of Climate Variability and Change Educational Resources Regional Paper: Alaska. Retrieved January 17, 2006, from: http://www.usgcrp.gov/usgcrp/nacc/education/alaska/ak-edu-4.htm 5. Maths comes to the rescue of marine life. Retrieved January 17, 2006, from: http://reporter.leeds.ac.uk/450/s3.htm 6. Retrieved January 17, 2006, from:. http://www.oceansalive.org/explore.cfm?subnav=article&contentID=4708 7. Retrieved January 17, 2006, from: http://www.oceansalive.org/explore.cfm?subnav=article&contentID=4706 Monarchs: 8. Cowbrough, M., ( 2005 March 22) . Milkweed Species in Ontario. Retrieved January 18, 2006 from: http://www.omafra.gov.on.ca/english/crops/facts/milkweed.htm#common 9. Pautler, P., Schneider, D., (Spring 2005) Butterflies. On Nature, 38 10. Weiss, R., (May 20, 1999) Gene-Altered Corn May Kill Monarchs. Retrieved January 17, 2006, from: http://www.biotech-info.net/gemonarchs.html 11. Monarch. Retrieved January 18, 2006, from: http://www.speciesatrisk.gc.ca/search/speciesDetails_e.cfm?SpeciesID=294#habitat 12. Q & A: Monarch Butterflies and Bt Corn. Retrieved January 19, 2006, from: http://www.checkbiotech.org/blocks/dsp_document.cfm?doc_id=83 13. The Monarch Butterfly. Retrieved January 17, 2006, from: http://www.biology.mcgill.ca/undergra/c465a/biodiver/2001/monarch-butterfly/Monarch_web_page.htm#summer 14. Cross, M., The Butterfly Effect. Retrieved January 18, 2006, from: http://www.cmp.caltech.edu/~mcc/chaos_new/Lorenz.html 15. Natural Wonders & Cultural Treasures. Retrieved January 19, 2006, from: http://www.pc.gc.ca/pn-np/on/pelee/natcul/natcul5_e.asp Iberian Lynx:: 16. Lloyd, N., The Iberian Lynx., Retrieved January 17, 2006 from: http://www.iberianature.com/material/iberianlynx.htm 17. Lynx pardinus. Retrieved January 17, 2006, from: http://www.redlist.org/search/details.php?species=12520 18. Felidae. Retrieved January 18, 2006, from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Felidae 19. Retrieved January 19, 2006 from: http://www.redlist.org/ 20. Iberian Lynx. Retrieved January 18, 2006, from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iberian_lynx