The time we are in today is known as Holocene. This is the last period that makes up the Cenozoic era and which began approximately 12.000 years ago. This period encompasses most of humanity's development, from the time of nomadic customs to the present day. Throughout this era, fauna has undergone significant changes globally. Therefore, we will analyze the fauna of the Holocene.
In this article we are going to tell you all the characteristics, evolution of the Holocene fauna.
General context
In order to explain the Holocene fauna we must introduce a context in which we find ourselves today. Throughout this time we have been able to observe the development of the human being, which includes all the milestones of humanity since the establishment of the first social groups and civilizations, the development of writing, exploration trips and great cultural advances. and intellectuals.
Since the human being was nomadic until today there has been a lot of evolution. As expected the human being is a key piece in the repercussion that has on the fauna of the Holocene. The fauna has undergone various changes influenced by humans and the adaptations that they have had to develop. And it is that the scenario as we know it has been changed many times by the development of technology and human populations.
Natural spaces, as can be seen in the Cape Horn, are increasingly smaller, and pollution is part of this ecosystem. Animals and plants have had to adapt to different conditions in a much shorter period of time than normal. Before humans existed, there were changes in flora and fauna globally, but they took place over a much longer period of time. For species to evolve and adapt to new environments, millions of years could pass. However, as we can see today, the human being has changed this entire paradigm. Species must adapt in just periods of centuries and less and less.
The Holocene fauna has experienced a mass extinction, a process that continues. Not only fauna, but also flora, is experiencing a global extinction caused by human action. Many specialists have classified this extinction process as the most rapid in Earth's history, due to the aforementioned timescale. The causes of this extinction are not changes in environmental factors, but human action.
The context in which we find ourselves in the Holocene is an interglacial epoch. This period began at the end of an initially intense period, and another ice age is expected to occur in the not-too-distant future.
Holocene fauna
As we mentioned before, animals haven't changed much during this period, but they have had to adapt to numerous changes. All the species that have managed to survive over time have not experienced any noticeable change or evolution. Those species that have flourished and persisted over time are the ones that have managed to survive this extinction of both terrestrial and marine species. Human activity and its desire to conquer the planet are what is endangering both animals and plants.
We are going to list those animals that existed in the early Holocene and that have already become extinct:
- Mammoth: These are species very similar to the elephants we have today and belong to the same family. Their main characteristic was that they had a trunk with enormous tusks protruding from the sides. The body was covered in hair as it was an adaptation to survive in low temperatures. The size of the mammoth varied, and fossils of some specimens have been collected that are larger than modern elephants. There are other species that are smaller in size and were called dwarf mammoth species. You can find information about this period in the Quaternary.
- Dodos: It was a species of bird endemic to Mauritius. They were very small in size and weighed approximately 12 kilos. They could reach a height of one meter, although they were flightless. Their body was quite plump. Some specialists in this bird consider it an emblematic example of the extinction of a species due to human activity. This species was able to live in its habitat and develop well until humans arrived on this island in the early XNUMXth century. After humans arrived on its habitat, its populations were drastically reduced until its extinction. Its case is similar to that of many other endangered species, as mentioned in the article on the extinction of species.
- Moa: This is another species of bird that lived in New Zealand until the 3th century. It was here that it became extinct due to humans. In appearance, it was very similar to the ostrich. It can grow up to 275 meters long and weigh approximately XNUMX kilos. As expected, humans began hunting this species for food. The invasion of its natural habitat by Maori hunters was the main reason for the extinction of this species.
Holocene fauna in danger of extinction
Currently there is an international body that is in charge of evaluating species according to their degree of threat and their possibility of extinction. This organism is known as the international union for the conservation of nature (IUCN). This organism has established different categories depending on the reduction of populations and the effect on its ecosystems. We can find categories from vulnerable, danger of extinction, critical danger of extinction, extinct in the wild, extinct, not threatened, of minor concern and without sufficient information.
We are now going to list some of the species that are in imminent danger of extinction and that are the best known:
- Iberian lynx
- Wild camel
- Orangutan
- Asiatic antelope
- Delegate-billed vulture
- Black browed albatross
- Covenant or blue
- Tiger-tailed seahorse
All these species belong to the Holocene fauna and are in serious danger of extinction. Such is their gradual extinction process that the sixth great extinction is being declared. The most alarming thing is that this period of time is very short for the large number of species that are going extinct.
I hope that with this information you can learn more about the fauna of the Holocene.