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[biosnake20]

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SYDNEY, Australia — Australian researchers say rising sea levels have wiped out a rodent that lived on a tiny outcrop in the Great Barrier Reef, in what they say is the first documented extinction of a mammal species due to human-caused climate change.

The rodent was known to have lived only on Bramble Cay, a minuscule atoll in the northeast Torres Strait, between the Cape York Peninsula in the Australian state of Queensland and the southern shores of Papua New Guinea. The long-tailed, whiskered creature, called the Bramble Cay melomys, was considered the only mammal endemic to the Great Barrier Reef.

“The key factor responsible for the death of the Bramble Cay melomys is almost certainly high tides and surging seawater, which has traveled inland across the island,” Luke Leung, a scientist from the University of Queensland who was an author of a report on the species’ apparent disappearance, said by telephone. “The seawater has destroyed the animal’s habitat and food source.”

climatechangesnowball.jpg

 

[Sephzilla]

Not trying to even remotely imply that climate change isn't responsible for this but it's worth noting that any species living on a small remote sea location is likely living on barrowed time anyways because any natural disaster could be a threat to then.

Still, RIP little guys And we need to address climate change NOW

 

[Proelite]

Should have gotten some in captive before they went extinct.

 

[ExVicis]

Should have gotten some in captive before they went extinct.

I'm not sure if we want another Tiger situation on our hands.

 

[Fourth Storm]

I feel like we had this thread 2 months ago when the article first came out. Cute little bugger. Damn shame.

 

[echoshifting]

I feel like we had this thread 2 months ago when the article first came out.

We did.

http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1235809