flink@umcp-cs.UUCP (Paul V Torek) (02/28/86)
In article <929@cybvax0.UUCP> mrh@cybvax0.UUCP (Mike Huybensz) writes: >>Humans have proven to be well adapted: there is more biomass of humans than >>of any other terrestrial animal, in more environments than any other >>terrestrial animal. Are you sure about this? Surely there are some species of termites with more biomass than humans!? --Paul Torek torek@umich
mrh@cybvax0.UUCP (Mike Huybensz) (03/03/86)
In article <3386@umcp-cs.UUCP> flink@maryland.UUCP (Paul V Torek) writes: > In article <929@cybvax0.UUCP> mrh@cybvax0.UUCP (Mike Huybensz) writes: > >>Humans have proven to be well adapted: there is more biomass of humans than > >>of any other terrestrial animal, in more environments than any other > >>terrestrial animal. > > Are you sure about this? Surely there are some species of termites with > more biomass than humans!? Sort of embarrassing to admit, since I'm an entomologist on the side, but you might be right. I don't have the figures offhand. However the environment argument still stands unchanged, and there would only be a very few insect species with more biomass. All in all, we are a wildly successful species by these measures. -- Mike Huybensz ...decvax!genrad!mit-eddie!cybvax0!mrh
friesen@psivax.UUCP (Stanley Friesen) (03/04/86)
In article <3386@umcp-cs.UUCP> flink@maryland.UUCP (Paul V Torek) writes: > >In article <929@cybvax0.UUCP> mrh@cybvax0.UUCP (Mike Huybensz) writes: >>>Humans have proven to be well adapted: there is more biomass of humans than >>>of any other terrestrial animal, in more environments than any other >>>terrestrial animal. > >Are you sure about this? Surely there are some species of termites with >more biomass than humans!? > There is really little doubt about it. There may be species of termites with more *individuals* than humans, and some species may have more biomass in a *restricted* geographic area than humans have in the *same* area, but on a global scale there is no way any termite species could exceed humans in biomass. The only species I can think of that *might* exceed humans in biomass is the domestic cow! And its current enormous success is due largely to humans and is thus really another measure of the success of humans. (After all the in order for specializing in being *eaten* by humans to be an *advantage* humans must be successful indeed) -- Sarima (Stanley Friesen) UUCP: {ttidca|ihnp4|sdcrdcf|quad1|nrcvax|bellcore|logico}!psivax!friesen ARPA: ttidca!psivax!friesen@rand-unix.arpa