Beyond a Zoo

[Inuyasha]

Are Zoos helpful to already endangered and closely endangered species. Or are they a barrier for evolution. I mean speices that should be exict (because of humans) shouldn't exist still under evolution. The only thing blocking this are zoos.

[thank.darwin]

They are not a barrier for evolution... evolution takes place in a zoo just as much as in the wild... only in different ways

[mith]

Zoos are not really for animal protection. The protected are usually kept in sanctuaries or federal parks. Zoo's are more of a display case IMO.

[Inuyasha]

So animals in zoos evovle the same way as animals in the wild. Wow i never knew. Do you have any information on this.

[biostudent84]

I don't think thank.darwin meant that they evolve identically to those animals in the wild, rather that they still do evolve in zoos.

[Inuyasha]

Well than if you keep an animal in a zoo long enought wouldn't it eventually evovle into a different species?

[MrMistery]

As everyone probably knows, when kept for a large period of time in captivity, an animal loses certain functions that it had during the stay in the wild. For example, predators can not hunt so effictevily when kept in captivity and then released into the wild, because in the zoo the food was handed to them on a plate. So they addapt to their new habitat. This also, in my opinion, is a form of evolution(just in another way)

[mith]

Survival of the cuddilest.

[Inuyasha]

Hmm. So how do you describe an organism like a hybrid. For example a liger. Ligers don't exist in the wild. Althought it didn't evovle it was techincally man created. So are ligers part of the evolution of zoos. And has there been any species that has actually evovled in a Zoo?

[adidasty]

dude nature would be so cool without humans. evolution would be completely natural and artificial selection by humans wouldnt stop anything. we really do do a lot of harm to true natural selection by creating fake habitats and changing ecosystems. humans suck. lol

[thank.darwin]

I don't think thank.darwin meant that they evolve identically to those animals in the wild, rather that they still do evolve in zoos.

Thank-you for clearing that up!

[thank.darwin]

dude nature would be so cool without humans. evolution would be completely natural and artificial selection by humans wouldnt stop anything. we really do do a lot of harm to true natural selection by creating fake habitats and changing ecosystems. humans suck. lol

If humans where not here then an intelligent life form would eventually evolve and have the same effects on the environment as we do now.