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Ten Species on Earth
Topic Started: Jul 20 2014, 03:17 AM (1,155 Views)
Danny
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Imagine that the Earth was to be wiped of all animal life, and you can only save ten species.

Which ten would you pick and why?


This is not including humans, which will still survive anyway. You may want to pick animals for their uniqueness, their survival abilities or their use to humans. Remember, the ten animals have to be able to survive together without any other animals alive (unless of course you want all animal life to go extinct...). Plants, fungi, bacteria and all non-animal life forms still exist. :)
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Ztlabraptor211
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Camels- camels are adaptive , can be used for transport, food or prey for other species.
Vultures- something's gotta clean up around the planet
Lama- lamas are a more durable form of sheep, in the fact that they're wool can be harvested
Rheas- rheas are adaptive and ratites are a very unique type of creature.
Salmon- something's gotta love in the wtErs and salmon are plentiful and a great source of good
Dogs- dogs are loyal companions of humans
Spider monkey- a unique species primates are, they should live
Cows- food and leather and milk. What else to say?
Bees - pollinate flowers
Woodpeckers- feed on bees so they don't get out of hand
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Robbie
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●■♥WHY?♥■●

Dogs, the most loyal animal to humans, they are known as man's best friend and are skilled in many things.

Horses, Just incase we run out of fuel to powerup cars we could use horses.

Bottlenose dolphins/ Sea Lions, There are animals such as sealions and dolphins which help the army in battle.

Camels, They can be used as transport without much water and food given too them for a long time.

Electric Eel, electricity used incase we run out for small things.

Elephants, they are easily controlled by humans and can get work done by them.

Donkeys, can carry lots of things so are useful.

Reindeer, only used for colder places where camels and ponies/horses cannot travel.

Rats ( African giant pouched rat ), used to detect mines and explosives.

Snake, this is weird but they are funnily used for massages. xD

I looked some up and found some really good ones and others from memory. :P The last one is funny though. xD


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Meerkatmatt2
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My list

ants
bees
earthworms
termites
anchovies
chickens
krill
rats
dogs
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Mathius Tyra
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Rat snake is love... Rat snake is life

My list would be...

- Earthworm
- Ant
- Bee
- Crow
- Dog
- Rabbit
- Small freshwater shrimp
- Common carp
- A large predator fish.... Maybe some kind of edible, hardy catfish?
- Goose
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trisdino
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Rheas: The world would need large grazing herbivores
Fowl: The world would also need smaller grazing herbivores
Kiwis: I would love to give these endangered animals a chance. They would fill the niches of tiny herbivores
Hawks: They would fill the roles of arial predators, hunting kiwis and fowl
Monitor lizards: They would fill the roles of large, land based, predators
Crocodiles: They would be the largest predators on the planet, both in water and on land
Tuna: They would fill the roles of fish, and probably quickly diversify
Baracudas: They would fill the roles of medium sized, ocean based predators
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Mathius Tyra
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Rat snake is love... Rat snake is life

Well, kiwi is insectivore. :P
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trisdino
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Good, I did not have an insectivore (;
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stargatedalek
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I'm not slow! That's just my moe!

but you also don't have any insects....



with so few life to actually make it sustainable I'll have to think small

1 coral
-coral is the literal "foundation" for many marine ecosystems, in multiple senses of the term

2 "small open ocean fish"
-doesn't really matter what it is, but when I say small I mean it, and it must be open ocean because it would help control plankton blooms

3 sponge
-people can eat/farm sponges if we really had to

4 brittle worm
-a key part of a marine ecology, not something we want to loose

5 jellyfish
-one of the most common predators on the planet, something needs to eat those fish

6 shellfish
-yet another staple food source

7 sea star
-something needs to keep the shellfish in check

8 pollinating animal
-the exact species or group here doesn't matter, just the niche

9 crustaceans
-top predators are also key to a thriving marine ecosystem, and of course we can eat them

10 geese/ducks/chickens
-well I doubt everyone left alive would want to eat seafood or plants all the time, but our omnivorous feathered companions would need to adapt to eating seafood, so geese are probably the best choice

-I know thats not very specific, but really I didn't think it would be needed with these choices to specify a species
-I went on the assumption that our technological prowess has not diminished, and that as such we will be able to control plant populations on land on our own
-if humans did die off and the land basically became a blob of plants, the marine species I chose are the ones with highest probability of surviving on their own
Edited by stargatedalek, Jul 20 2014, 07:38 AM.
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trisdino
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Hmm, you are right, scrap the baracudas, and add bees, so that they can pollinate plants.

Tuna will probably adapt to eating each other anyway, if their numbers get big enough, and so may crocodiles.
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stargatedalek
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I'm not slow! That's just my moe!

many tuna species eat barracuda anyway
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trisdino
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I can only pick one species though, so I will pick the yellowfin tuna, which is large, and would make good prey for crocodiles.

This would perhaps lead to a split in crocodiles, between those that stay in the rivers and lakes, those that go into the ocean to hunt for the tunas, and those who adapt to a terrestrial lifestyle, to take advantage of their position as the largest predators in the world.
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CyborgIguana
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Robbie
Jul 20 2014, 04:35 AM
Dogs, the most loyal animal to humans, they are known as man's best friend and are skilled in many things.

Horses, Just incase we run out of fuel to powerup cars we could use horses.

Bottlenose dolphins/ Sea Lions, There are animals such as sealions and dolphins which help the army in battle.

Camels, They can be used as transport without much water and food given too them for a long time.

Electric Eel, electricity used incase we run out for small things.

Elephants, they are easily controlled by humans and can get work done by them.

Donkeys, can carry lots of things so are useful.

Reindeer, only used for colder places where camels and ponies/horses cannot travel.

Rats ( African giant pouched rat ), used to detect mines and explosives.

Snake, this is weird but they are funnily used for massages. xD

I looked some up and found some really good ones and others from memory. :P The last one is funny though. xD


I would probably choose the species based on which would be most essential to an ecosystem, rather than on which are most useful to humans. :P
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Posted Image Drax
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1. Polar Bears: Who wouldn't want to ride a Polar Bear instead of a car?
2. Bald Eagle: 'MURICA!!!
3. Leopard: Imagine having a freaking pet Leopard. Yeah, awesome!
4. Dolphins: Because swimming with dolphins is fun :worship:
5. Capuchin Monkeys: Why? Cause they're funny, that's why.
6. Three-Toed Sloth: 'Nuf said.
7. American Alligator: Like a regular Alligator, just better.
8. Narwal: You need a reason? UNICORNS OF THE SEA!
9. Black Rhinos: FAT UNICORNS!
10. Honey Badger: Cause he do what he wants B-)
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CyborgIguana
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Your reason for the bald eagle's survival is slightly biased and potentially offensive to other countries. Your reason for the American alligator's survival is even more so. Like a regular alligator, just better. So American alligators are best just because they're American, huh? Not saying this was your intention, just letting you know.
Edited by CyborgIguana, Jul 20 2014, 08:06 PM.
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