AUstralia is famous for the old species, exhausted in another place, as a place where they live. After boredom, the living fossils of Australia often survive only in the protected habitats: Wollemi, Huon and King Billy Pines, Queensland lungs and even the devil of Tasmania (the Egyptians develop in the mainland as they built the pyramids). Such species are a source of curiosity for everyone who is interested in the living world, and when half a chance is given, they should serve as a source of hope that even old, slow -changing species can survive during the dramatic climate change periods.
The largest living fossil warehouse in Australia is the coolest, shallow water waters from the southern coastline. Despite the fact that many of us like to swim, snorkel or walking on the beach, the biological importance of our shallow temperate seas is almost completely known.
In 1996, Tasmania’s Seykli Handfish was the first seafish that was critically listed by the International Association of Nature Protection. This 10 cm long tasmania, located around the Derwent River, has cute, frog face and hand -like fins on the sea base.
There are only 14 Handfish species and all are limited to cool waters in South Australia. Most of them have limited distributions, many are extinct, and a few are known for a single example. But what is really surprising about Handfish is that they were once widespread. A 50 -meter fossil was revealed in the Italian Alps. That is, like the Platypus and Huon Pine, Handfish remains and insecure in the cool southern waters of Australia.
Maugan Skate, also known as “Deniz Thylacine ,, became famous for being in danger by salmon farming. It is also a living fossil in the tannin waters of Macquarie Port on the west coast of Tasmania. The relatives of Maugan Skate live in shallow waters around New Zealand and Patagonia, which shows that the species is about 40 meters ago, Australia, Antarctica and South America is a remnant to form Gondwana. Estimated, ordinary Australians forced them to ask if it is right to infirm a 40 -meter evolution for a salmon bagel.
Bell Clapper Shell, which is only in shallow waters outside the southwest of Australia, is a third and most surprising residue. These long and narrow lime white shells shaped like a ringing of a bell are common enough to find a sea washed example in a beach walking between Perth and Esperance anywhere. Nevertheless, a fossil with a really exotic history. While the workers built Paris sewers in the 19th century, some of them often encountered fossil bell clasp shells up to a meter. Just across the world, from Europe to Eastern Australia, Bell Clapper fossils are abundant. However, only examples living in the southwest of Western Australia can still be seen.
Handfish, Maugean skates and bell clasp bullets are only three charismatic species between the abundance of smaller and less spectacular sea species that take refuge in the cool waters in South Australia. Today, the climate deterioration threatens the Great Juggernaut to extinguish all living spaces. Greenhouse gases are not equally distributed the heating caused by our emissions. The oceans absorb 90% of the heat trapped by greenhouse gases, and high latitudes warm up faster than areas close to the equator.
Catastrophic changes occur. The giant Kelp once had plenty of plenty of shallows outside Eastern Tasmania. Biodiversity is very large in the gardens of the giant Kelp, Charles Darwin called them the rain forests of the sea. Because of the warming waters, in most places, it is nothing but a memory. When Kelp disappears, biological diversity also disappears. Simple heating problems are combined with the migration of long Spined Sea Kestanen spreading south when the waters are hot.
Without the strongest efforts to eliminate greenhouse gases, it does not take long for the first of the sea -living fossils of South Australia to blink.
The survival of the living fossils of Australia is a source of curiosity and hope for me. The fact that Platypus, which has little vary for 100 meters, continues to survive in the streams and rivers near the largest Australian metropolises, helps calm my worst fears about our future. And even though I never see one in the wild nature, it brings joy to my soul to know that Handfish’s Gulf base near Hobart Casino continues to walk.
When the Australians understand what is in danger, I continue to believe that they will act to protect our extraordinary biological diversity. There is no doubt that the good climate policy faces a Trumpian apocalypse. Nevertheless, like our living fossils, some brave initiatives survive, and Andrew Forrest’s “real zero” target for iron ore mines by 2030. If an energy hungry iron ore miner working in a remote corner of Australia can eliminate the use of all fossil fuel in the next five years, why can’t we all do?
