Name: Karina Morales San Román Matricula Number: 2967257

Name of the Course: Life Science Group: 422

Module 3: Biodiversity Teacher’s name: Martín Salinas Pérez

Date: 05/05/2022 Evidence 3

References:
Interesante, M. (2018, 31 mayo). Animales ancestrales. Muy Interesante. Recuperado 5 de
mayo de 2022, de https://www.muyinteresante.com.mx/medio-ambiente/animales-mas-
viejos/
Rodríguez, H. (2022, 15 febrero). National Geographic. www.nationalgeographic.com.es.
Recuperado 5 de mayo de 2022, de
https://www.nationalgeographic.com.es/naturaleza/grandes-reportajes/animales-peligro-
extincion_12536
Extinciones naturales. (s. f.). Ciencias de la Tierra y el Medio Ambiente. Recuperado 5 de mayo
de 2022, de
https://cidta.usal.es/contamin_agua/www1/www1.ceit.es/Asignaturas/Ecologia/Hipertexto
/12EcosPel/122ExtincNat.htm
Arias, A. (2021, 15 febrero). Extinción de especies: qué es, causas y consecuencias.
ecologiaverde.com. Recuperado 5 de mayo de 2022, de
https://www.ecologiaverde.com/extincion-de-especies-que-es-causas-y-consecuencias-
3095.html
La contaminación ambiental y nuestra salud. (s. f.). Revista Ciencia. Recuperado 5 de mayo de
2022, de https://www.amc.edu.mx/revistaciencia/index.php/ediciones-anteriores/ediciones-
anteriores/35-vol-58-num-1-enero-marzo-2007/ambiente-y-salud/73-la-contaminacion-
ambiental-y-nuestra-salud

1. Write the name of seven ancient living beings, which is, that existed in ancient times,
designate the name of the era and period.

- Mammoth: Cenozoic era, tertiary period.

- Sigillaria: Paleozoic era, carboniferous period
- European Bison: Cenozoic era, tertiary period.
- Eel shark: Cenozoic era, miocene period.
- Sturgeon: Paleozoic era, carboniferous period.
- Saber-toothed tiger: Cenozoic era, tertiary period.
- Placodermi: Paleozoic era, devonian period.
 2. Choose three species (terrestrial or aquatic) that are currently endangered, the
regions of the world where they are and describe their habitat as well. (Note: do not
include living beings already studied in earlier evidence).

- Polar bear: They live in the arctic region of the

circumpolar north, they are found in Canada, Alaska,
Greenland, Russia and Norway. The habitat of the
polar bear is the permanent ice of the polar cap and
the frigid waters that surround the icebergs and the
broken plains of the arctic sea ice.
- Mountain gorilla: They are found in Uganda, Rwanda and
the Democratic Republic of the Congo. They live within the
tropical and subtropical forests, as well as in the jungles that
are found around the Ecuadorian belt.
- Vaquita porpoise: They are located in the northern part of
the Gulf of California and are concentrated on the coast of
San Felipe in Baja California, the Gulf of Santa Clara and
Puerto Peñasco in Sonora. It lives in warm and shallow
waters between 11 and 50 m, with a visibility of 0.9 to 12
m and at a distance from the coast of 11 to 25 km.

3. Identify which actions performed by humans in recent years have led to the extinction
of the three species that you chose (at least one action for each species), and analyze
the difference between this kind of extinction, to the one that has happened during
the ancient times through natural selection.

Some of our actions that contribute to the extinction of species in our environment are, to
begin with the issue of polar bears, they are actions that contribute to environmental pollution
and therefore, to global warming, which causes the melting of the poles. Regarding the habitat
of mountain gorillas, there are actions such as deforestation, growth of the agricultural frontier,
change in land use, among many other activities that affect their habitat and then it is
impossible for them to live in those conditions. And in the end, for the habitat of the vaquita
porpoise, it is nothing more than contamination of bodies of water, excessive or unnecessary
use of large amounts of water.

The difference between extinction due to human actions and natural selection is that just as its
name says, the extinction of species due to natural causes is one that is not carried out with
conscious human intentions, for example, due to disasters. natural or simply when species do
not adapt, do not adapt to the environment or are replaced by others whose adaptation is
better, and extinction due to human causes, is one that occurs when it is a consequence of
actions that we carry out or trigger direct factors that impact and threaten species.
 4. Explain in detail how the disappearance of each of the species that you have chosen is
actually impacting or might impact other living beings and the environment.

The extinction of any species, whether animal or plant, directly affects the entire ecosystem
where it was found and generates negative changes in it, because when this happens the
habitat for all other species is unbalanced, the chains that lead to the normal functioning of the
ecosystem.

5. Write down proposals (one for each species) to prevent the extinction of the species
that you have chosen and explain the importance of such activities for human beings
to become aware of the risk that we find by altering the biological processes.

Some proposals to care for the habitat of the polar bear could be to save energy at home as
much as possible, travel by bicycle or in such a way that we help reduce greenhouse gases,
throw away less food and make use of the 3 Rs, this to help limit climate change and as I
mentioned before, prevent the melting of the poles.
Among the proposals to care for the habitat of the mountain gorilla are avoiding burning
garbage and separating it, not cutting down trees, and the use of renewable energy.
And for the habitat of the vaquita porpoise, it would be to turn off the tap, collect rainwater,
reduce the use of plastics, reduce CO2 emissions, and help take care of the beaches.

I believe that it is very important to carry out these actions to take care of the environment,
since it is our duty and because our well-being depends on the conditions in which we live, that
is, on our environment, and most importantly, because any organism obtains from the
environment the sustenance necessary to ensure their survival. Therefore, maintaining its
balance is essential to ensure life as it is known today.

6. Write a conclusion of the work, where you can talk about the achieved learning and
the purpose of it.

This activity was very interesting for me because it made me more aware of the responsibility
we have as human beings to take care of the place where we live, trying to maintain the
balance of the environment and all the species that inhabit the world. Many times we are not
aware of the repercussion that our actions can have on the environment, however, it is very
important to change our habits, in such a way that we do not affect it as aggressively as we
have been doing for many years.