Zoo - week 3

- Animal introductions and environmental changes

what are pros of introducing a new species?

• food source

• sport hunting

• domestication

• cultural or religious practices

what are cons of introducing a new species?

• pests

• extinctions of endemic species

• new pathogens

What is the most important vector for the spread of potentially invasive alien species today?

ballast weight in ships

what is a major bioarchaeological event in history which took place in Neolithic Europe?

the domestication of animals

is the oostvaardersplassen an accurate representation of an ancient landscape?

no, it’s carefully orchestrated (plus the landscape used to be more dense)

what are synanthropic species?

species which live in anthropogenic spaces

what are anthrodependent species?

species which are dependent on anthropogenic resources and habitats

what is an example of a synanthropic species?

the rat (or in England, the fox)

what is an example of an anthrodependant species?

a pet (cat, dog, reptile)

which rat was there first?

rattus rattus, the black rat

which rat is more popular now?

rattus norvegicus, the brown rat

to what is the dispersal of rattus rattus linked?

to human activities (colonisation in roman and medieval periods)

when did rattus rattus (black rat) and rattus norvegicus (brown rat) start beefing?

from the 18th century

what 5 key points got the brown rat to outcompete the black rat?

• smaller and less aggressive

• better at adapting

• better at reproducing

• has less of a preference for food

• is more resistant to disease

how did rats arrive in new zealand?

by boat of captain Cook

why is the black rat more abundant in new zealand?

it climbs trees better (better adapted)

what were consequences of introducing new species to new zealand?

lots of species went extinct because they weren’t evolved to handle a new threat

what is a case study regarding how bird species drastically decreased in new zealand after arrival of polynesians?

polynesians hunted the emu, a species loved by an apex predator bird. Because there were no more emu, the predator bird also went extinct.

new species in new zealand: electric boogalo (4 key points)

• rabbit introduced in 1850’s for hunting

• too many rabbits, introduce ferret

• ferret didnt work (dependent on rabbit populations), enter stoat

• spread like a pest, ate more mice and rats than rabbits

what does the mast cycle have to do with predators?

the mast cycle greatly affects bird numbers in new zealand

in 5 steps, how does the predator plague cycle work?

1. beech trees produce seeds

2. rodent population has more food and explodes

3. stoats feed on rodents, stoat population explodes

4. when the seed runs out, both stoat and rodent turn to bird eggs for food

5. no more birds

in 5 steps, how does the 1080-bait plan work?

1. both bait with and without poison is dropped

2. rats eat the bait (they know from the safe bait it is safe to eat) and die

3. possums eat the bait and die

4. stoats prey on the rat and possum carcasses and die

what negative consequence does the 1080 bait plan have?

other species also eat the bait

for what subject are the new zealand introductions a good case study? why?

the ecological effect of ancient introductions of new species

what is weird about the cretan goat?

it’s not really endemic (brought in Minoan times) but still a protected species

what does the rapa nui (easter island) case study show?

how bad it can get (the entire island was deforested, with the only evidence being rat-gnawed seeds of the native palm)

what does the orkney island case study show?

the process and effects of animal domestication on the land

what are 2 steps of domestication shown in the land on orkney island?

1. a massive reduction in woodland

2. a massive increase in disturbed land

why could the woodland in orkney be reduced by half?

either the cows ate it all, or it was all cut down to make room for pastures

why was the land so disturbed in orkney?

caused by ploughing and/or other domestic activity on the land (?)

what is the first evidence of bedbugs?

in ancient egyptian times (1350 BC)

apart from egypt, where were bedbugs also described multiple times?

ancient rome and greece

do bedbugs still pose a threat to modern-day society?

YES

what is a modern case study for the appearance of bedbugs?

the olympic games brought along a ton of tourists, and with them, a plague of bedbugs