Caribbean wildlife is threatened by humans, followed by climate change

University of Florida researchers pulled nearly 100 fossils from a flooded cave in the Bahamas reveal a true story of persistence against all odds. They might date back to the time humans stepped foot on the islands. The discovery, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, indicates that many human activities pose a threat to the future of island biodiversity, with modern human-driven climate change not necessarily the most alarming. The new study discusses thirty-nine of the species no longer exsit on Great Abaco Island in the Bahamas. Among them, 17 species of birds likely fell victim to changes in climate and rising sea levels around the end of the Ice Age, about 10,000 years ago. Twenty-two other species of reptiles, birds and mammals persisted through those dramatic environmental changes only to vanish when humans first arrived on the island 1,000 years ago. According to the lead author Dave Steadman, ornithology curator at the Florida Museum of Natural History on the UF campus, understanding more about why some species were more flexible than others in the face of climate and human-driven changes could alter the way we think about conservation and restoration of species today, when scientists fear activities like habitat alteration and the introduction of invasive species could pose the greatest risk to island species. Further exploration of caves on Caribbean islands will begin in December at the budget of $375,000 by the National Science Foundation. Know more about life science:http://www.cusabio.com/ELISA-Kit/Rat-rotavirus-RV-antigen-Ag-ELISA-kit-11089488.html