On Tue, Jun 19, 2007 at 05:40:46PM +0800, Andrew Hobbs wrote:
> Dingos were introduced and were probably responsible for
> the extinction of some of the larger species soon after their
> introduction. Since then they have settled into an equilibrium
> with the remaining species
I think you are going well beyond the data. I've seen 3 species's
mainland extinctions attributed to Dingos : Thylacines, Devils
& Tasmanian Native Hens
As I understand this is the timeline:
Native Hens became exinct on the mainland < 5000 years BP.
Dingos arrived > 3500 years BP and < 6000 years BP (DNA)
Thylacines became exinct on the mainland < 3000 years BP.
Devils became exinct on the mainland < 500 years BP.
I can't seen any (quantitive) way you can infer equilibrium has been
reached - no more extinctions - from this data.
Of course, some people suggest none of these extinctions may be due
to the arrival of the Dingo and there is good reason to believe cats &
foxes are more potent threats to our native fauna than Dingos.
Andrew
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