Title: Rats
as big as sheep: Rodents could evolve to fill niches as larger mammals go
extinct
Author: Independent
Staff
Date: Tuesday
04 February 2014
Scientists hypothesize that rats could evolve to be as large
as sheep to fill vacant niches if large mammals become extinct. Rats a super
adaptable, so as large mammals become extinct over time, the rats could take
their places. For example, when dinosaurs lived, mammals were all tiny because
the large ecological niches were occupied. However, when the dinosaurs became
extinct, mammals evolved into many different, larger forms, including horses
and mammoths. Given time, rats could grow to be enormous rodents. The largest
extinct rodent known, Josephoartegasia monesi, was larger than a bull and
weighed over a ton, showing rodents have the potential to be incredibly large.
Also, there are “rat islands” where rats, introduced by humans, have become the
dominant species. They are also very hard to remove and outcompete other
species. Gigantism is when a small creature fills the ecological niche left by
a large species. Scientists also expect rats to evolve in many other ways
depending on the circumstances. They could be thin, fat, slow, fast, or even
aquatic. Rats are expected to produce a remarkable variety of descendants.
This article connects to what we are talking about in
class involving the finches evolving to fill the unoccupied niches of the
Galapagos Islands. Much like the size and shape of the finches’ beaks evolved,
the size of the rats’ bodies could evolve.
What year or when exactly do scientists hypothesize that rats could evolve into a larger size?
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ReplyDeleteWhen did the largest rodent ever go extinct? Also, why did the Josephoartegasia monesi go extinct? Was it due to competition, lack of food, etc..?
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