The island effect produces giant predatory house mice

[urbpan]

I found out about this on "Wait Wait, Don't Tell Me: The NPR News Quiz."

‘Monster mice’ are eating island’s seabirds
Rodents evolved to triple normal size, attack much larger chicks

The island effect produces giant tortoises, giant (flightless) pigeons, and my favorite, giant monitor lizards (Komodo dragons). For some unknown reason, it also produces dwarf humans (Homo florensis) and dwarf elephants (which, according to island biogeographer David Quammen, were originally the chief prey of Komodo dragons).

EDIT: I originally spelled the name "Kwammen," for some reason

Comments

[vyoma.livejournal.com]

It's basic biology, really. The thing scientists can't agree on is how to predict it, but the mechanisms are well known.

I don't have a link handy (this is stuff I learned in biology classes), but if you search around for information about things like "founder effect," "genetic drift," natural selection, etc., you should be able to find lots of information about this. Really, the "island effect" is just particular set of pressures that, all together, addup to natural selection.

[cottonmanifesto.livejournal.com]

Have you read the Quammen book?

[vyoma.livejournal.com]

No

[cottonmanifesto.livejournal.com]

GREAT read. Interesting AND entertaining. :)