BIOLOGY 1M03 Lecture Notes - Lecture 1: Paleozoic, Homeobox, Dna-Binding Domain
11 Dec 2015
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Document Summary
Case study of extinction: cichild fish in lake victoria. Introduction of nile perch (lates noloticus) into lake victoria. Nile perch was introduced from lake albert into the uganda portion of lake victoria in 1950s and 1963. It was recorded in tanzania in 1964 and kenya in 1970. Explosive increase in nile perch population was observed in. Reaches sexual maturity in 3 years, mature females can produce. Voracious predator with a wide diet (polyphagous); can eat other fish, cannabilism. Can reach huge sizes up to 230kg, but it is typical 2-3kg. Introduction of nile perch caused the largest mass extinction of contemporary vertebrates. Within a decade, ~200 endemic species of haplochromine cichlids went extinct in lake victoria. Some species of cichlids ate algae; now algae is growing unchecked. Because of the increased amount of algae, more plant material settles on the bottom of the lake before decomposing.
