IISc Research On Species Extinction

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Scientists throw new light on extinction

Published: Thursday, 10 August, 2006, 12:01 PM Doha Time

 

*Bhubaneswar:* A single animal species is likely to become extinct from

different locations on Earth around the same time if a common external

factor, or " forcing " , is applied, say two Indian researchers.

 

In a joint study, Professor Govindan Rangarajan of the Indian Institute of

Science, Bangalore, and Professor R E Amritkar, Physical Research

Laboratory, Ahmedabad, say that " synchronisation " of the species precedes

extinction if there is a common external forcing.

 

" Such a forcing could be anything from an ice age, global warming or a

volcanic eruption to meteorites hitting the earth, threat from predators and

even large-scale hunting by humans, " their study states.

 

The separated communities of the species synchronise together before

becoming extinct. Animal populations all over the world are likely to

synchronise their numbers before dying out, the researchers say.

 

More than 99% of the species that ever existed on the surface of the earth

are now extinct, and their extinction on a global scale has been a puzzle

for scientists worldwide.

 

Many are of the opinion that a specie under an external threat like climate

change, asteroids hitting the earth and volcanic eruptions may survive in

some isolated locations - leading to the revival of the species.

 

However, the latest research conducted over a year suggests that if a specie

becomes extinct in one location, it becomes extinct globally in all

locations. Populations of a single animal species will become extinct at the

same time due to the common external factor, or " forcing " , according to the

study that has appeared in the June issue of the journal Physical Review

Letters.

 

They have based their findings on a theory called Special Spatial

Synchronisation.

 

The model, if correct, implies that isolating an endangered specie will not

necessarily mean it survives - a strategy often proposed by conservationists

and wildlife groups, it said.

 

For example many species, including the giant dinosaurs, have disappeared.

Thus was due to catastrophic events.

 

" They became extinct since the climatic conditions became unfavourable, "

Rangarajan told IANS in an e-mail interview.

 

There are many species facing extinction like the spider monkey of Colombia

and the black howler monkey among other species, said Rangarajan.

 

" We started with some experimental data showing that a predator can

synchronize prey populations across different locations, " he said.

 

" We developed a general model based on this and applied techniques from

non-linear dynamics to study the problem, " said Rangarajan, who did his MSc

from the Birla Institute of Technology and Science at Pilani.

 

" It is not clear whether human beings face extinction. If there is a

catastrophic event like large asteroids hitting the earth, this can happen, "

he said. Similarly, global warming can play a role in future extinctions. –

Indo-Asian News Service