one of the extraordinary things about these flooded caves is that they
these flooded caves is that they
these flooded caves is that they preserve lots and lots of species and
preserve lots and lots of species and
preserve lots and lots of species and the quality of preservation is
the quality of preservation is
the quality of preservation is extraordinary we have material there
extraordinary we have material there
extraordinary we have material there that really represents entire individual
that really represents entire individual
that really represents entire individual animals and a fauna so the amount of
animals and a fauna so the amount of
animals and a fauna so the amount of information that we’re getting about the
information that we’re getting about the
information that we’re getting about the animals themselves and the animals that
animals themselves and the animals that
animals themselves and the animals that lived in that particular area I think is
lived in that particular area I think is
lived in that particular area I think is unsurpassed
unsurpassed
unsurpassed it’s probably the largest case of
it’s probably the largest case of
it’s probably the largest case of subfossil lemurs that’s ever been
subfossil lemurs that’s ever been
subfossil lemurs that’s ever been discovered Madagascar is the lost world
discovered Madagascar is the lost world
discovered Madagascar is the lost world of the lemurs because that’s the only
of the lemurs because that’s the only
of the lemurs because that’s the only place in the world where lemurs survive
place in the world where lemurs survive
place in the world where lemurs survive today and the animals that are there now
today and the animals that are there now
today and the animals that are there now give us insight into what the earliest
give us insight into what the earliest
give us insight into what the earliest forms of primates were like and
forms of primates were like and
forms of primates were like and particularly the earliest forms of
particularly the earliest forms of
particularly the earliest forms of lemurs
given that we know areas close by have
given that we know areas close by have produced fossils that are three or four
produced fossils that are three or four
produced fossils that are three or four thousand years old our suspicion is that
thousand years old our suspicion is that
thousand years old our suspicion is that we’re going to be working in that kind
we’re going to be working in that kind
we’re going to be working in that kind of a time dragon from several hundreds
of a time dragon from several hundreds
of a time dragon from several hundreds of years old to a few short thousands of
of years old to a few short thousands of
of years old to a few short thousands of years later
we really would like to know how they
we really would like to know how they got in there because part of that will
got in there because part of that will
got in there because part of that will help us understand whether or not we
help us understand whether or not we
help us understand whether or not we have a biased or a normal sample of the
have a biased or a normal sample of the
have a biased or a normal sample of the animals that were living there at that
animals that were living there at that
animals that were living there at that time or indeed if the animals were
time or indeed if the animals were
time or indeed if the animals were deposited in the cave at different times
we have several giant fossil lemurs in
we have several giant fossil lemurs in this cave in another cave close by where
this cave in another cave close by where
this cave in another cave close by where we’ve worked we have another giant
we’ve worked we have another giant
we’ve worked we have another giant fossil lemur mega latias one of my
fossil lemur mega latias one of my
fossil lemur mega latias one of my favorites had a skull that was about a
favorites had a skull that was about a
favorites had a skull that was about a foot long but it probably wasn’t the
foot long but it probably wasn’t the
foot long but it probably wasn’t the heaviest of all of these animals there’s
heaviest of all of these animals there’s
heaviest of all of these animals there’s another animal called archeo in Juris
another animal called archeo in Juris
another animal called archeo in Juris that we think was about as big as a
that we think was about as big as a
that we think was about as big as a gorilla so we’re talking about a lemur
gorilla so we’re talking about a lemur
gorilla so we’re talking about a lemur that was hundreds of pounds and weight
that was hundreds of pounds and weight
that was hundreds of pounds and weight that’s pretty big
the very sad situation in Madagascar it
the very sad situation in Madagascar it the the threat to species is tremendous
the the threat to species is tremendous
the the threat to species is tremendous there’s a high rate of extinction it’s
there’s a high rate of extinction it’s
there’s a high rate of extinction it’s it’s a very precarious situation and to
it’s a very precarious situation and to
it’s a very precarious situation and to a significant degree we would like to
a significant degree we would like to
a significant degree we would like to contribute some more knowledge about
contribute some more knowledge about
contribute some more knowledge about that situation so that we can plan for
that situation so that we can plan for
that situation so that we can plan for the future
the future
the future we’d like to know what the interaction
we’d like to know what the interaction
we’d like to know what the interaction was between people
was between people
was between people climate change habitat change what
climate change habitat change what
climate change habitat change what happened as those variables interacted
happened as those variables interacted
happened as those variables interacted with one another that contributed to the
with one another that contributed to the
with one another that contributed to the demise of the giant lemurs because
demise of the giant lemurs because
demise of the giant lemurs because knowing that might give us some
knowing that might give us some
knowing that might give us some perspective on what we have to prepare
perspective on what we have to prepare
perspective on what we have to prepare for for the future
”
Be First to Comment