Has humanity f*cked up nature?

[ladiesman217]

Was watching a nature documentary this morning on the last ice age. Notable species like the woolly rhino and mammoth. And it got me thinking. Dinosaurs ruled the planet for over 100 million years, until they died out at the end of the Cretaceous 65 million years ago. Just 15,000 years ago or there about the woolly rhino and mammoth died out. Today we have 2 living species of elephant (3 if you include the African forest subspecies) and several rhino species (black, white, javan rhino and more). Then of course there's the mass millions and billions of other types of animals/plants/fungi/bacteria/etc.

From dinosaurs to what we have today in 65 million years. 65 million years of evolution, tampered only by nature itself. Countless species that existed which we'll never discover, species that we have yet to discover both alive and fossilized. But how is the evolutionary process going to go now that humans have 'terraformed' the lands to the detriment of nature itself. How have we interrupted the evolutionary path of countless species? The climates will undoubtedly change again as they have through geological time.

Food for thought. Damn I'm in a deep thinking mood today.

[samlad]

Was watching a nature documentary this morning on the last ice age. Notable species like the woolly rhino and mammoth. And it got me thinking. Dinosaurs ruled the planet for over 100 million years, until they died out at the end of the Cretaceous 65 million years ago. Just 15,000 years ago or there about the woolly rhino and mammoth died out. Today we have 2 living species of elephant (3 if you include the African forest subspecies) and several rhino species (black, white, javan rhino and more). Then of course there's the mass millions and billions of other types of animals/plants/fungi/bacteria/etc.

From dinosaurs to what we have today in 65 million years. 65 million years of evolution, tampered only by nature itself. Countless species that existed which we'll never discover, species that we have yet to discover both alive and fossilized. But how is the evolutionary process going to go now that humans have 'terraformed' the lands to the detriment of nature itself. How have we interrupted the evolutionary path of countless species? The climates will undoubtedly change again as they have through geological time.

Food for thought. Damn I'm in a deep thinking mood today.

I can answer the question before I even read your post. Yes.

[Lara Mills]

[mellors]

Its interesting to note that all civilisation (I use the term loosely), has arisen during a relatively stable time of earths history, not too hot not too cold, really a very short geological time. Sometimes we have the arrogance to believe that humans are the end of the evolutionary line, were not, just a short branch of evolution that has flourished under a very restrictive era of earths history.
Nearly all species go extinct, eaten, squashed, out competed or change in habitat.
The problem is that humans by their interference are speeding up the process of extinction.
Will we stay around as long as the dinosaurs ? Probably not, were resourceful as a species ,but not that good. In the wings will be some other organism, micro or insect ready to take our place.

Prof : Steven Hawkins- Mellors

[Bumble]

I read lately that DNA is the main man and the rest of us live of it like a parasite.

[Larrii]

....how is the evolutionary process going to go now that humans have 'terraformed' the lands to the detriment of nature itself. How have we interrupted the evolutionary path of countless species? The climates will undoubtedly change again as they have through geological time.

Not as much interruption as planets colliding, stars exploding, black holes - all of which are "natural" too.

[AbsoluteNoob]

Not as much interruption as planets colliding, stars exploding, black holes - all of which are "natural" too.

The building of a dam, the destruction of natural habitats, pollution etc aren't natural though. Can't compare.

[dr love]

Was watching a nature documentary this morning on the last ice age. Notable species like the woolly rhino and mammoth. And it got me thinking. Dinosaurs ruled the planet for over 100 million years, until they died out at the end of the Cretaceous 65 million years ago. Just 15,000 years ago or there about the woolly rhino and mammoth died out. Today we have 2 living species of elephant (3 if you include the African forest subspecies) and several rhino species (black, white, javan rhino and more). Then of course there's the mass millions and billions of other types of animals/plants/fungi/bacteria/etc.

From dinosaurs to what we have today in 65 million years. 65 million years of evolution, tampered only by nature itself. Countless species that existed which we'll never discover, species that we have yet to discover both alive and fossilized. But how is the evolutionary process going to go now that humans have 'terraformed' the lands to the detriment of nature itself. How have we interrupted the evolutionary path of countless species? The climates will undoubtedly change again as they have through geological time.

Food for thought. Damn I'm in a deep thinking mood today.

yes .: doc

[Cassandra]

Whilst we are responsible for alot of Damage, us humans are a part of nature not outside of it so ^^ is what I think.

[ladiesman217]

Not as much interruption as planets colliding, stars exploding, black holes - all of which are "natural" too.

Sorry but you can't compare natural events, or 'acts of God' if you will, to human activities. Natural events that occur in space or on Earth cannot be controlled. We can control what we do to the Earth but historically we have chosen profit over planet.