The reason for the extinction of the Irish elk. As the name suggests, it was a deer with ridiculously huge antlers. The larger the antlers, the more popular the males were with females, so the species evolved to have ever-larger antlers. However, growing these antlers consumed massive amounts of calcium, leading to chronic malnutrition that left their bones frail everywhere except for the antlers. Furthermore, when plants withered and a famine struck, the male Irish elk suffered severe malnutrition and died off one after another, leading to extinction. It makes you realize that evolving with such an over-specialized trait has its downsides.
Can you say that same thing to a babirussa? The babirussa is a species of wild boar native to Sulawesi, Indonesia. Their upper and lower tusks curve and keep growing long, to the point where in older individuals, the tips appear to reach and pierce their own heads.
Humans have also evolved with a specialization in intelligence, but our heads are so large that it makes childbirth difficult. Infants can't even move properly after birth and require care, yet the physical toll on the mother is extreme. We somehow manage with civilization and other means, but if we were wild animals, we'd be featured in a book of "sad and clumsy creatures."
If we're talking about extinction stories, the great auk is even more tragic and leaves a bad aftertaste... Question: What event is said to have driven the extinction of the famous extinct animal, the great auk?
Apparently, the figure of the Irish elk is depicted in ancient human cave paintings, so humans seem to have played a role in their extinction. With such huge antlers and brittle bones, they must have been easy to hunt.
Hearing that eels are on the verge of extinction, Japan boldly airs a response on TV: not "Then let's stop eating them and protect them," but rather "Then let's eat as many of them as we can before they go extinct." Japan is in no position to laugh at this story.
Comments (-)