With the rapid development of science and technology, people's living standards have been greatly improved. However, along with this, human beings have over-exploited and occupied nature, resulting in serious damage to the ecological environment.
In the past, people wanted to conquer nature and use it completely for their own use. However, nowadays, due to soil erosion, greenhouse effect, and more and more species, the number of species has declined sharply or even become extinct. People have gradually realized the importance of ecological balance. importance.
This reminds people of the prediction made by the Mayans a long time ago: "Human civilization will end, and species that have been extinct for many years will return to the earth again." Is this really the case?
Extinction of Species
The human definition of biological extinction is that when an entire population of an animal or plant is destroyed, disappears, or is unlikely to regenerate, the species can be said to be extinct.
From the perspective of the overall development process of the world, biological extinction is a very natural thing. Just like every life begins to die from birth, every species also begins to go extinct from the moment of birth, but the length of time is different. These are the inevitable results of natural selection and biological evolution .
For example, the large dinosaurs, great apes , megalodon , etc. that disappeared during the long evolution of the earth, the five mass extinctions that occurred before and after were all caused by natural influences.
These natural extinctions were either caused by drastic climate changes caused by global climate change, volcanic eruptions and crustal movements, or were caused by ocean anomalies or meteorite impacts, and each time was a mass extinction. .
While these remain human speculations, it is certain that these extinctions were not deliberately committed by a species.
Now, when most of the resources on the earth are used and controlled by humans, the fate of these creatures is no longer only controlled by nature, but has to withstand the dual test of nature and humans.
When the laws of nature are forcibly affected or changed by humans, the self-development process of many organisms will be forced to interrupt, either accelerating their disappearance or flooding ( biological invasion ).
In the context of modern society, when humans are looking for more precious creatures and begin to pay attention to biodiversity , we find that many animals are on the verge of extinction or have disappeared in nature.
such as dodo , bull, thylacine , bald dolphin, etc. From the 17th century to the end of the 20th century, during more than 300 years of rapid human development, more than 300 species of creatures disappeared from the earth forever.
The Dodo
Many of these extinct species were caused by human activities. Humans over-exploited nature, destroyed the balance of the ecological environment, and caused many creatures to lose the environment and living conditions they depended on for survival. Therefore, more and more Many species have become endangered animals, or even disappeared from the picture of nature.
For modern people, the extinction of species is not uncommon, but what is strange is that in recent years, those long-lost creatures have reappeared in nature. What is going on? Is the Mayan prophecy really going to happen?
Thylacine
A Species Back from the Dead
Elephant Shrew
The last recorded sighting of the Somali elephant shrew was nearly 50 years ago, after which it was thought to be extinct.
However, in August 2020, a team of researchers and academics reported that these tiny, strange-looking creatures are alive and well.
Known as the Somali elephant shrew, this mouse-sized animal with its distinctive elongated trunk is thriving in the Horn of Africa.
Scary Skink
In 1872, French botanist Benjamin Barranza was visiting the French Pacific territory New Caledonia when he noticed a strange-looking lizard, which he named "Scary Skink." .
At around 50 centimeters (20 inches) long, this lizard may not be anything special, but the "scary" in its name refers to its mouth full of ravenous teeth.
But after that, this lizard disappeared from human sight until it was rediscovered by scientists in 2003, thus changing the history of its extinction.
Cuba Catfish
There are almost no poisonous mammals in the world. Why do we say almost? Because the Cuban catfish is a special case.
Sadly, the Cuban catfish has not been seen by humans for a long time, and while it has never technically become extinct, its numbers are so low and sightings so rare that it is often thought to have become extinct. Extinct.
According to Scientific American magazine, the ancestor of the Cuban catfish appeared at the same time as the dinosaurs: it is a "'living fossil' that has not changed much for millions of years."
To sum up, many creatures that have been "extinct" for many years have reappeared in human sight, which can be said to have been resurrected from the dead.
Mayan Prophecy
The once mysterious Mayan civilization predicted many things in the world.
For example, the Mayans actually predicted solar and lunar eclipses during the Classic Period (300-900 AD). But they did it not through the astronomical knowledge that we understand things by, but by tracking the periodicity over decades and centuries, and accurately predicting this solar and lunar eclipse phenomenon.
Another example is the end of the world, which is the five cycles of destruction and rebirth on the earth. They use " solar era " to represent these eras. The cycle of each solar era is about 26,000 years.
According to this cycle, the year 2012 on earth is the fifth solar era, and human civilization will end here. So, does the frequent return of living things confirm the authenticity of the predictions of the Mayan civilization?
However, human civilization did not end in 2012. What about the return of living creatures today?
Perhaps, 2012 is not the end of world civilization, but the beginning of a recalculation cycle.
It is true that there is always some kind of "disappear and repeat" cycle in the evolution of organisms in the world, but this is also nature's way of repairing itself. Like mass extinctions before it, life continues in cycles of reincarnation.
At the same time, humankind’s definition of “extinction” may be a bit off. The extinction of organisms sometimes has limitations in discovery and differences in understanding, which can easily lead humans to unilaterally determine a result.
In other words, organisms may shift their long-term geographical space, or they may only "hide" temporarily. They actively leave human activity areas and live in a world where they can roam freely without being intentionally "observed" by humans. survive.
Because it has not been discovered by humans for a long time, it has created the illusion that "this species has become extinct"; at the same time, human activities are also limited, and it is impossible to truly set foot on every inch of the earth. There will always be creatures that cannot be found. land.
However, when these animals are willing to return to the vast world, and humans are really surprised by this, they are looking forward to the symbiosis of all things, which also shows that humans may also play a role in environmental management.
Conclusion: Humans should coexist harmoniously with animals
Today’s humans have gradually realized how important ecological balance is. More and more species are disappearing and extinct. Some animals can escape to survive in places where humans have not set foot, but this disaster If it happens to humans, then where should we go?
Therefore, while we strive for more living space, please also leave some living space for other creatures.
