[sotd] Wolf Mystery Solved at Last [April 23, 2014]
- From: "Site of the Day" <amholm@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: sotd@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Wed, 23 Apr 2014 05:58:35 -0700
Site of the Day for Wednesday, April 23, 2014
Wolf Mystery Solved at Last
Today's site, from those indefatigable folks at the Why Files, takes a look at
a long standing puzzle related to the Falkland Islands wolf. Gentle Subscribers
will be pleased to discover the solution determined by a group of Australian
researchers.
"It was a mystery of nature even before Charles Darwin reached the Falklands
Islands in the South Atlantic: How did the Falklands Islands wolf, the only
resident mammal, reach the islands, about 460 kilometers off the Argentine
shore? ... A new study echoes evolutionary giants Darwin and Wallace and
highlights the role of sea level in animal migration." - from the website
Although the Falkland Islands wolf was hunted to extinction during the 19th
century, its earlier presence on the islands had perplexed the most noted
scientists during the past 150 years. Trying a new approach, a mix of forensic
genetics and paleogeography, Australian scientists were able to zero in on when
the Falklands wolf split off from its last mainland common ancestor. The new
results pointed to a much more likely scenario, related to the Wisconsin Ice
Age, providing a coherent explanation of the wolf's arrival on the islands. In
a satisfying twist, Darwin, too, was involved in the research.
Amble over to the site to learn how scientists determined the answer to the
island wolf's migration at:
http://whyfiles.org/2013/wolf-mystery-solved-at-last/
A.M. Holm
Comments? Suggestions? amholm@xxxxxxxxxxx
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