China's white dolphin likely extinct
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China's rapid industrialisation has likely made extinct a species of fresh water dolphin that had been on Earth for over 20 million years, Chinese and British biologists said Wednesday.
Scientists from China, Japan, Britain and the United States failed to find the white dolphin, known as the baiji, during a six-week search of its natural habitat in the Yangtze river last year.
"This result means the baiji is likely extinct," Wang Ding, co-author of the survey and one of the world's leading experts on the species, told AFP.
The dolphin was a victim of devastating pollution, illegal fishing and heavy cargo traffic on the Yangtze, Wang said.
The findings mean the baiji is likely the first mammal to become extinct in more than 50 years. It is the cousin of the bottlenose dolphin, which is also on the critically endangered list.
Wang, from the Chinese Academy of Sciences, emphasised that not all hope was lost for the dolphin, which had made its home along the lower reaches of China's now heavily polluted Yangtze River for more than 20 million years.
"We are not saying the baiji is already gone," he said.
But he lamented that further searches this year had failed to find any sign of the dolphin.
Wang said that a letter written by the survey team had been published in the latest issue of the Royal Society Biology Letters journal in Britain to confirm the dolphin was believed to be extinct.
The baiji, identifiable by its long, teeth-filled snout and low dorsal fin, was last officially sighted more than two years ago.
The last confirmed count by a research team was conducted in 1997, when just 13 were recorded.
Up to 5,000 baiji were believed to have lived in the Yangtze less than a century ago, according to the baiji.org website, which was established by a range of international conservation groups.
"The decline in the baiji population has been caused by extreme human pressure on its freshwater habitat," the website said, blaming illegal fishing and massive discharges of industrial and agricultural waste into the river.
Other rare species that live in the Yangtze, such as the Chinese sturgeon and the finless porpoise, are also in danger of extinction.
The British-based zoologist who also worked on the six-week search meanwhile said the loss of the Yangste dolphin was a huge blow.
"The loss of such a unique and charismatic species is a shocking tragedy," said co-author Sam Turvey of the Zoological Society of London.
"The Yangtze River dolphin was a remarkable mammal that separated from all other species over 20 million years ago."
International environmental group WWF has warned that river dolphins are key indicators of a river's health and of the availability of clean water for people living on its banks.
"River dolphins are the watchdogs of the water," said Jamie Pittock, head of WWF's Global Freshwater Programme in a recent alert over their fate.
"The high levels of toxic pollutants accumulating in their bodies are a stark warning of poor water quality. This is a problem for both dolphins and the people dependent on these rivers," he added.
Turvey added: "This extinction represents the disappearance of a complete branch of the evolutionary tree of life and emphasises that we have yet to take full responsibility in our role as guardians of the planet." -
as usual
China always no '1' in everything lar
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if i know that article has been posted, i will not post this at allOriginally posted by monoslayer: -
I'm not surprised. Human beings are always good at driving other species to extinction.
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Everyday dont know how many tons of sand are extracted from Yangtze river(and other rivers too). No one really take real action to stop those illegal sand extracting ship, this cause some serious damage to the river. No matter how many articles come out, how many news say these ships will ruin the river, still no one take action, they are still extracting it.
How many fishes and other creature killed by those ship when they are sucked up, and when the river has not enough sand underwater, many creature cant survive there, and it cause chain reaction as bigger fish eat those creature living in the sand. And sand works like "filter" for the river, which is going to be gone.
White dolphin is only one of creature that's going to extinct, more to go. -
mayb when u are a grandpa , ur grandchildren will be reading about how these animal got extinct ....
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Same same Singapore men, the romance also going to extinct liao.Originally posted by allentyb:China's rapid industrialisation has likely made extinct a species of fresh water dolphin that had been on Earth for over 20 million years, Chinese and British biologists said Wednesday.
Scientists from China, Japan, Britain and the United States failed to find the white dolphin, known as the baiji, during a six-week search of its natural habitat in the Yangtze river last year.
"This result means the baiji is likely extinct," Wang Ding, co-author of the survey and one of the world's leading experts on the species, told AFP.
The dolphin was a victim of devastating pollution, illegal fishing and heavy cargo traffic on the Yangtze, Wang said.
The findings mean the baiji is likely the first mammal to become extinct in more than 50 years. It is the cousin of the bottlenose dolphin, which is also on the critically endangered list.
Wang, from the Chinese Academy of Sciences, emphasised that not all hope was lost for the dolphin, which had made its home along the lower reaches of China's now heavily polluted Yangtze River for more than 20 million years.
"We are not saying the baiji is already gone," he said.
But he lamented that further searches this year had failed to find any sign of the dolphin.
Wang said that a letter written by the survey team had been published in the latest issue of the Royal Society Biology Letters journal in Britain to confirm the dolphin was believed to be extinct.
The baiji, identifiable by its long, teeth-filled snout and low dorsal fin, was last officially sighted more than two years ago.
The last confirmed count by a research team was conducted in 1997, when just 13 were recorded.
Up to 5,000 baiji were believed to have lived in the Yangtze less than a century ago, according to the baiji.org website, which was established by a range of international conservation groups.
"The decline in the baiji population has been caused by extreme human pressure on its freshwater habitat," the website said, blaming illegal fishing and massive discharges of industrial and agricultural waste into the river.
Other rare species that live in the Yangtze, such as the Chinese sturgeon and the finless porpoise, are also in danger of extinction.
The British-based zoologist who also worked on the six-week search meanwhile said the loss of the Yangste dolphin was a huge blow.
"The loss of such a unique and charismatic species is a shocking tragedy," said co-author Sam Turvey of the Zoological Society of London.
"The Yangtze River dolphin was a remarkable mammal that separated from all other species over 20 million years ago."
International environmental group WWF has warned that river dolphins are key indicators of a river's health and of the availability of clean water for people living on its banks.
"River dolphins are the watchdogs of the water," said Jamie Pittock, head of WWF's Global Freshwater Programme in a recent alert over their fate.
"The high levels of toxic pollutants accumulating in their bodies are a stark warning of poor water quality. This is a problem for both dolphins and the people dependent on these rivers," he added.
Turvey added: "This extinction represents the disappearance of a complete branch of the evolutionary tree of life and emphasises that we have yet to take full responsibility in our role as guardians of the planet." -
GG to the dolphins!
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In the movie Soylent Green, made in the 70s but set in futuristic, post apocalyotic world, the world is bereft of flora and fauna.
So when you are about to die, if you have the money, you could go to a special facility, lie on a bed, watch scenes of the such flora and fauna (taken from the archives) and fade off into the sunset.
At least China's dolphin loss is indirect and due to human expansion and development. Unlike Japan which regularly culls dolphins for its meat.
What kind of 'civilized' people can have the heart to kill dolphins? -
clicky here => Sport Hunting and Eating of DolphinsOriginally posted by menokki:In the movie Soylent Green, made in the 70s but set in futuristic, post apocalyotic world, the world is bereft of flora and fauna.
So when you are about to die, if you have the money, you could go to a special facility, lie on a bed, watch scenes of the such flora and fauna (taken from the archives) and fade off into the sunset.
At least China's dolphin loss is indirect and due to human expansion and development. Unlike Japan which regularly culls dolphins for its meat.
What kind of 'civilized' people can have the heart to kill dolphins? -
What do u expect from China? They eat anything that walks/swims/flies/crawls etc.
Anyway Sg got white elephant so no need for white dolphin -
since when is allen concern bout dolphins?
must be out of anime -
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err...pardon my ignorance but how come u extract sand can cause damage to river?Originally posted by mochou:Everyday dont know how many tons of sand are extracted from Yangtze river(and other rivers too). No one really take real action to stop those illegal sand extracting ship, this cause some serious damage to the river. No matter how many articles come out, how many news say these ships will ruin the river, still no one take action, they are still extracting it.
How many fishes and other creature killed by those ship when they are sucked up, and when the river has not enough sand underwater, many creature cant survive there, and it cause chain reaction as bigger fish eat those creature living in the sand. And sand works like "filter" for the river, which is going to be gone.
White dolphin is only one of creature that's going to extinct, more to go. -
this activity will causes damage to the eco system in the riverOriginally posted by TYING:err...pardon my ignorance but how come u extract sand can cause damage to river? -
prc govt rather pursue 1 china policy rather than protecting animals..
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pcb
live earth teach about global warming only
animals kumlan 1 ah?
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erm.. global warming also cause the extinction of animals..Originally posted by gigabyte14:pcb
live earth teach about global warming only
animals kumlan 1 ah? -
tats why it will ultimately be us who will drive us into exinction..Originally posted by Slipshade:I'm not surprised. Human beings are always good at driving other species to extinction.
if not, hopefully mother nature will do the job.. -
and who do u think are the biggest culprits who contributed to the global warming?Originally posted by mr_sotong:erm.. global warming also cause the extinction of animals.. -
And would 'cilivized' people not have taken note in the first place of the pollution they were doing due to expansion and development?Dolphins loss is indirect? dun make me laugh please.. the authorities knew what was happening since reports were made way back earlier and the warning signs were already there on the dolphines' journey towards extinction...Originally posted by menokki:In the movie Soylent Green, made in the 70s but set in futuristic, post apocalyotic world, the world is bereft of flora and fauna.
So when you are about to die, if you have the money, you could go to a special facility, lie on a bed, watch scenes of the such flora and fauna (taken from the archives) and fade off into the sunset.
At least China's dolphin loss is indirect and due to human expansion and development. Unlike Japan which regularly culls dolphins for its meat.
What kind of 'civilized' people can have the heart to kill dolphins?
the dolphins were there way before humans evolved.. so whos intruding onto whos habitat actually?
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well, as usual. people only make noise and take action when things go haywire beyond repair.
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to be honest, i think japan is the lesser evil here, not china. eating and consuming dolphines for food means they die at least for the god damm food, and not because of some pollution making em ill and rot to death. the only problem i can't sit well is how they slaughter em dolphins.Originally posted by menokki:In the movie Soylent Green, made in the 70s but set in futuristic, post apocalyotic world, the world is bereft of flora and fauna.
So when you are about to die, if you have the money, you could go to a special facility, lie on a bed, watch scenes of the such flora and fauna (taken from the archives) and fade off into the sunset.
At least China's dolphin loss is indirect and due to human expansion and development. Unlike Japan which regularly culls dolphins for its meat.
What kind of 'civilized' people can have the heart to kill dolphins? -
oh?
hunting and eating something because of vanity is a lesser evil?Originally posted by Ito_^:to be honest, i think japan is the lesser evil here, not china. eating and consuming dolphines for food means they die at least for the god damm food, and not because of some pollution making em ill and rot to death. the only problem i can't sit well is how they slaughter em dolphins.