Scientists declare Yangtze dolphins extinct after search

THE GUARDIAN, LONDON

Thursday, Aug 09, 2007

The Yangtze river dolphin, until recently one of the most endangered species on the planet, has been declared officially extinct following an intensive survey of its natural habitat.

The freshwater marine mammal, which could grow to 2.4m long and weigh up to one-fourth of a tonne, is the first large vertebrate forced to extinction by human activity in 50 years, and only the fourth time an entire evolutionary line of mammals has vanished from the face of the Earth since the year 1500.

Conservationists described the extinction as a "shocking tragedy" on Tuesday, caused not by active persecution but accidentally and carelessly through a combination of factors including unsustainable fishing and mass shipping.

In the 1950s, the Yangtze river and neighboring watercourses had a population of thousands of freshwater dolphins, but their numbers declined dramatically after China industrialized and transformed the Yangtze into an artery of mass shipping, fishing and power generation. A survey in 1999 estimated the population of river dolphins was close to just 13 animals.

Sam Turvey, a conservation biologist at London Zoo, worked with Chinese government scientists to survey the entire 1,669km stretch of the Yangtze river downstream of the giant Three Gorges Dam to Shanghai.

The team scoured the river four times in two boats during the six-week survey, using high-powered binoculars to spot the dolphins. Sensitive hydrophones were towed behind to listen for their calls.

The researchers hoped that if any dolphins were spotted, they could be taken to a reserve in an oxbow lake which was once part of the Yangtze.

Around half of all river dolphins were killed as a result of indiscriminate fishing practices.

"The Yangtze river dolphin was a remarkable mammal that separated from all other species over 20 million years ago. This extinction represents the disappearance of a complete branch of the evolutionary tree of life," Turvey said.

And just like that, another animal disappears. Tragedy is the human race, we have all this power and yet we never seem to use it responsibly.

The most polluted rivers on the planet and a populace that will eat ANYTHING made this inevitable.

Surprising nobody thought to take a few specimins into captivity before it was too late.

Does that mean we will have one choice less for food?

I wonder if the London Zoo paid for the whole study. The Chinese don't do very well in any genre that sniffs of humanitarian or philanthropic deeds. It is a great pity this happened. I wonder if the dolphins were just smarter and moved on. How any living thing could survive in the Yangtze or any river in China is beyond me.

Nature sometimes finds a way, i just home they are hiding out in the myriad of caves that exist along the Yangste.

I bet they never looked that hard. Don't get me wrong, it's still a bloody shame they are not prolific in the region. I guess the "human being" still has to learn about "being human". Not holding my breath though.

What a tragedy, adding to the already sad state of the earths wildlife due to man's stupidity!

I am guessing the next on the list will be the other three varieties of freshwater dolphin. The Cambodian pink dolphin has been on extinction watch for quite a while.

CB

I am guessing the next on the list will be the other three varieties of freshwater dolphin. The Cambodian pink dolphin has been on extinction watch for quite a while.

CB

And there was a big fuss fifteen years ago about the pink Dolphin around the mouth of the Pearl River - when Chek Lap Kok Airport was being built in Hong Kong. But nothing heard recently, as far as I know.

Well if old things don't go, new things won't come!

Let's welcome the new type of viruses that comes!

Well if old things don't go, new things won't come!

Let's welcome the new type of viruses that comes!

meemiathai logic? Yeah, let's rejoice that we are wiping out species!

I am guessing the next on the list will be the other three varieties of freshwater dolphin. The Cambodian pink dolphin has been on extinction watch for quite a while.

CB

Don't have to worry about your species, dear Beakboy. My neighbourhood murder could easily repopulate the world's needs, with a little help from yourself, of couse.

Well if old things don't go, new things won't come!

Let's welcome the new type of viruses that comes!

meemiathai logic? Yeah, let's rejoice that we are wiping out species!

Now wiping out a species might actually be a good thing. There would be one species less that could possibly challenge the superiority of human beings.

Now please don't get angry suegha, but I have never heard the Bible said that it is big deal that a species get wiped out as long as it is not the human species?

Well if old things don't go, new things won't come!

Let's welcome the new type of viruses that comes!

meemiathai logic? Yeah, let's rejoice that we are wiping out species!

Now wiping out a species might actually be a good thing. There would be one species less that could possibly challenge the superiority of human beings.

Now please don't get angry suegha, but I have never heard the Bible said that it is big deal that a species get wiped out as long as it is not the human species?

Really? There is so much you don't understand! All the creatures of the earth are special to God, he created them! Even you! And I personally think you're an idiot! But God loves you, despite what I think!

So long, and thanks for all the fish.

Well if old things don't go, new things won't come!

Let's welcome the new type of viruses that comes!

meemiathai logic? Yeah, let's rejoice that we are wiping out species!

Now wiping out a species might actually be a good thing. There would be one species less that could possibly challenge the superiority of human beings.

Now please don't get angry suegha, but I have never heard the Bible said that it is big deal that a species get wiped out as long as it is not the human species?

Really? There is so much you don't understand! All the creatures of the earth are special to God, he created them! Even you! And I personally think you're an idiot! But God loves you, despite what I think!

God obviously loves me more than you.

There is so much you don't understand! All the creatures of the earth are special to God, he created them!

umm why did God create the AIDs virus ? or cancer ? we surely cant be that special! But..... i'm sure there is a perfectly reasonable explanation for this.

There is so much you don't understand! All the creatures of the earth are special to God, he created them!

umm why did God create the AIDs virus ? or cancer ? we surely cant be that special! But..... i'm sure there is a perfectly reasonable explanation for this.

Oh please let's not make this thread into a discussion about God!

However, just to answer your question. God didn't create AIDS or Cancer, we did!

No, we didn't.

There is so much you don't understand! All the creatures of the earth are special to God, he created them!

umm why did God create the AIDs virus ? or cancer ? we surely cant be that special! But..... i'm sure there is a perfectly reasonable explanation for this.

Oh please let's not make this thread into a discussion about God!

However, just to answer your question. God didn't create AIDS or Cancer, we did!

No, we didn't.

OK then tell us who did..

^ Satan perhaps.

No, we didn't.

OK then tell us who did..

Claiming ignorance or just having a go?

No, we didn't.

OK then tell us who did..

Claiming ignorance or just having a go?

None of the above. Just asking a question, as you seem to know who didn't, perhaps you know who did.

No, we didn't.

OK then tell us who did..

I heard it was the monkeys in Africa.

No, we didn't.

OK then tell us who did..

I heard it was the monkeys in Africa.

Certainly, scientific studies have come to this conclusion.

Would that then make seuga an evolutionist ?

Does that mean we will have one choice less for food?

Muppet.

For those who care not only for themselves here's a short video relating to the OP's topic. http://www.earthocean.tv/series/baiji.html

<deleted> them. What did they ever do for us?

No, we didn't.

OK then tell us who did..

I heard it was the monkeys in Africa.

Certainly, scientific studies have come to this conclusion.

Would that then make seuga an evolutionist ?

How could this, by any weird twist of logic, make me an evolutionist?

^ Satan perhaps.

I know this was said tongue in cheek, however, as I have pointed out before, the word 'satan' just means adversary or opponent in the Bible. there is no mythical beast called satan, it's orthodox christianity that's responsible for that myth!

Also, for so many who don't believe in God to use him as an excuse for not believing is preposterous!