I S C ONSERVATION A GAINST E VOLUTION ?

Debadityo Sinha
M.Sc.(Tech.) Environmental Science & Technology II Year
Banaras Hindu University
‘National Workshop on Evolutionary Perspectives in Modern Biology Teaching and Research’ (09/05/2011)
at Academic Research Centre, University of Delhi.
 C ONSERVATIONISTS VS . E CONOMISTS
CONCERNS: ARGUMENTS:

Trees are also important for

Trees are important for nature. commercial goods.

Urban development destroys wild It facilitates our survival.

habitat.
Agricultural land is the current
Forest necessary for better wildlife. requirement for survival of large
human population.

Control competition at higher trophic

Poaching.
levels.

Invasion affects native species. Survival of the fittest!

‘National Workshop on Evolutionary Perspectives in Modern Biology Teaching and Research’ (09/05/2011) at Academic Research Centre, University of Delhi.
 G LOBAL WARMING : W HY THE FURORE ?

Earth’s Average Temperature: 15o Celsius

Without Global Warming Earth’s Average Temperature: -19 o Celsius
Ref. J.F. Girard ‘Environmental Chemistry’ (Jones & Bartlett Publishers ,2005)

It’s a natural phenomenon but the concern raised due to increased rate of
the global warming.

But this increase is related to increase in CO2 emission due to increased

fortunatimes.com human population! (IPCC)

We have the right to multiply.. So do the nature to react…

INFERENCE: The increased rate of Global Warming should be seen as an event which is not
against nature!
‘National Workshop on Evolutionary Perspectives in Modern Biology Teaching and Research’ (09/05/2011) at Academic Research Centre, University of Delhi.
 adopted from: http://commoditypress.com
‘National Workshop on Evolutionary Perspectives in Modern Biology Teaching and Research’ (09/05/2011) at Academic Research Centre, University of Delhi.
 Could

‘National Workshop on Evolutionary Perspectives in Modern Biology Teaching and Research’ (09/05/2011) at Academic Research Centre, University of Delhi.
 HUMAN: T HE R ULER S PECIES
 Increased cranial development.
Human
 Ability to exploit resources more
efficiently.
 Sexuality.
Animals
 Cultural Evolution has been
significant.

Plants

‘National Workshop on Evolutionary Perspectives in Modern Biology Teaching and Research’ (09/05/2011) at Academic Research Centre, University of Delhi.
 A RE WE FACING EXTINCTION ?

 We are nearing the top of the

sigmoid curve.
 Means population crash may
be on the note.
 Extinction or Bottleneck
Filtration in future?

adopted from: http://energyandourfuture.org

‘National Workshop on Evolutionary Perspectives in Modern Biology Teaching and Research’ (09/05/2011) at Academic Research Centre,
Image
University
from http://nut-bar.com
of Delhi.
 H OW TO P RESERVE O UR F UTURE E XISTENCE ?

1. Controlling human population being a human?

Nature controls population, not

the species!

Image from first-news.blogspot.com

‘National Workshop on Evolutionary Perspectives in Modern Biology Teaching and Research’ (09/05/2011) at Academic Research Centre, University of Delhi.
 H OW TO P RESERVE O UR F UTURE E XISTENCE ?

2. Adaptation to the changing environment?

Adaptation takes time,

but changes are now
faster than ever!

Image from http://stellashopper.com

‘National Workshop on Evolutionary Perspectives in Modern Biology Teaching and Research’ (09/05/2011) at Academic Research Centre, University of Delhi.
 H OW TO P RESERVE O UR F UTURE E XISTENCE ?

3. Reduced utilization of resources?

Affects survival of present generation!

Image from http://fineartamerica.com

‘National Workshop on Evolutionary Perspectives in Modern Biology Teaching and Research’ (09/05/2011) at Academic Research Centre, University of Delhi.
 H OW TO P RESERVE O UR F UTURE E XISTENCE ?

4. Sustainability: Ensure enough resources for future

generation?
Ah! There is some hope!

CONSERVATION : The beginning….

‘National Workshop on Evolutionary Perspectives in Modern Biology Teaching and Research’ (09/05/2011) at Academic Research Centre, University of Delhi.
 CONSERVATION: T HE GREATEST APPLICATION
OF HUMAN BRAIN ..

Why to conserve?
Every organisms on the earth are linked to each other and
survival of each species is necessary for the ecosystem via
food web.

Image from http://library.thinkquest.com

We don’t even completely know which species holds what importance in the ecosystem
and how its beneficial to us.

To maintain balanced resources, survival of differential

populations are very much needed as that would
prevent over exploitation of a particular resource type.

‘National Workshop on Evolutionary

ImagePerspectives
from http://telegraph.co.uk
in Modern Biology Teaching and Research’ (09/05/2011) at Academic Research Centre, University of Delhi.
 CONSERVATION: T HE GREATEST APPLICATION
OF HUMAN BRAIN ..

Is conservation act against evolution or

supporting it…….?

‘National Workshop on Evolutionary Perspectives in Modern Biology Teaching and Research’ (09/05/2011) at Academic Research Centre, University of Delhi.
 C ONSERVATION AND T HE L OGICAL V IEW
OF E VOLUTION

Conservation:

Minimum Increase the

Few
Viable Population
Individuals
Population Size

‘National Workshop on Evolutionary Perspectives in Modern Biology Teaching and Research’ (09/05/2011) at Academic Research Centre, University of Delhi.
 C ONSERVATION AND T HE L OGICAL V IEW
OF E VOLUTION

1. Conservation is Goal Specific!

Natural selection is never goal bound… It is a

process not a guiding hand...

‘National Workshop on Evolutionary Perspectives in Modern Biology Teaching and Research’ (09/05/2011) at Academic Research Centre, University of Delhi.
 C ONSERVATION AND T HE L OGICAL V IEW
OF E VOLUTION

2. Selection of individuals is not natural!

The alleles under conservation may not

be the ones selected or supported by
nature.

‘National Workshop on Evolutionary Perspectives in Modern Biology Teaching and Research’ (09/05/2011) at Academic
Image from
Research
http://ideafest.blogspot.com
Centre, University of Delhi.
 C ONSERVATION AND T HE L OGICAL V IEW
OF E VOLUTION

3. Environment is not always natural!

Artificial support for surviving the

species rather survival of the
species.

Image from http://family-getaways-melbourne.com

‘National Workshop on Evolutionary Perspectives in Modern Biology Teaching and Research’ (09/05/2011) at Academic Research Centre, University of Delhi.
 C ONSERVATION AND T HE L OGICAL V IEW
OF E VOLUTION

4. Genetic Variability is lost!

‘National Workshop on Evolutionary Perspectives in Modern Biology Teaching and Research’ (09/05/2011)
Image at Academic
Copyrighted to PearsonResearch Centre,
Education University of Delhi.
Inc. 2009
 C ONSERVATION AND T HE L OGICAL V IEW
OF E VOLUTION

4. Genetic Variability is lost!

As the population is derived from few individuals the genetic composition

behaves similar to photocopy of a print organism.

a) Weak gene pool (Inbreeding depression).

b) Genetic drift (bottleneck effect) increases in smaller population size.
c) Reduced genetic variability reduces the population’s ability to adapt
to new selective pressures (climate, epidemic etc.).
d) Deformed sperm, sterility.

‘National Workshop on Evolutionary Perspectives in Modern Biology Teaching and Research’ (09/05/2011) at Academic Research Centre, University of Delhi.
 Gir: The last home of Asiatic Lion
…….Conservational success??
‘National
Image from Workshop on Evolutionary Perspectives in Modern Biology Teaching and Research’ (09/05/2011) at Academic Research Centre, University of Delhi.
http://historicaljunagadh.blogspot.com
 F ROM 13* 1 (1900) TO 411* 2 (2010)

 Genetic variability: 26%. 3

 70-80% sperms deformed. 4

 1/3rd of the diet comes from domestic

cattles. 4

 Relocation to Chandraprabha Sanctuary

failed in 1957.

 Faces risk of mass death in case of epidemic

similar to Serengeti lions of Tanzania (where
1/3rd population was killed by deadly canine
distemper disease during 1993-97)
1as believed. 2The Hindu (05/03/2010) . 3 http://cza.nic.in . 4 National
Image ‘National Workshop on Evolutionary Perspectives in Modern Biology TeachingGeographic
from http://greencamp.in and Research’Magazine
(09/05/2011) at Academic Research Centre, University of Delhi.
 Northern Elephant Seal:

•20 individuals (1890) to more than 30,000 (today)

•They have much less genetic variation than a population

of southern elephant seals that was not so intensely
hunted.

(http://evolution.berkeley.edu)

Image from National Geographic

African Cheetah

• Has an extreme paucity of genetic variability, probably Image from http://fullstopindia.com

as a consequence of a severe population bottleneck in its
recent past. Indian Tiger:
•1411 in wild
• Immune system is so similar that skin grafts doesn’t
•Genetic variability approx.
evoke any immune response.
29%
(http://cza.nic.in)
Image from Google image (O'Brien et al, 1985)
 C ONCLUDING N OTE

1. Conservation emphasizes viable population size and in

most cases the differential population is not achievable.

2. Even if we achieve the viable population, we cant ensure

that it would be able to perform the same ecological
function as it would have naturally. And even if we are
successful in achieving nearby targets, but still we cant
predict if the population could survive the natural
pressure in future.

‘National Workshop on Evolutionary Perspectives in Modern Biology Teaching and Research’ (09/05/2011) at Academic Research Centre, University of Delhi.
 C ONCLUDING N OTE

3. Conservation should be seen as a ‘Survival Strategy’.

4. It is a type of positive interaction in which individuals of a

particular species protect the other species where it may
not derive any immediate benefit from the species under
conservation but it may derive certain benefits in its
survival in long term.

5. Conservation favours evolution only when its done at

maintaining a wide differential population in its natural
condition.
‘National Workshop on Evolutionary Perspectives in Modern Biology Teaching and Research’ (09/05/2011) at Academic Research Centre, University of Delhi.
W ITH VALUABLE I NPUTS F ROM :

 Dr. Seema Makhija (Dept. of Zoology, Acharya Narendra Dev College, Delhi University)

 Dr. Monisha Khanna (Dept. of Zoology, Acharya Narendra Dev College, Delhi University)

 Dr. Sarita Kumar (Dept. of Zoology, Acharya Narendra Dev College, Delhi University)

 Himanshu Batra (M.Sc. Genomics, Madurai Kamaraj University)

 Nishant Ryu (B.Sc. Zoology , Venkateshwara College, Delhi University)

‘National Workshop on Evolutionary Perspectives in Modern Biology Teaching and Research’ (09/05/2011) at Academic Research Centre, University of Delhi.
Is Conservation Against the Evolution?

No… Conservation is just an against the

Now.. Conservation is ……………
interaction! evolution.

‘National Workshop on Evolutionary Perspectives in Modern Biology Teaching and Research’ (09/05/2011) at Academic Research Centre, University of Delhi.
Conservation can only delay extinction…
but wont stop Evolution!!

Thanks for paying attention… 

url: http://debadityo.blogspot.com
Email: debadityo@gmail.com

Image from http://firstthings.com

‘National Workshop on Evolutionary Perspectives in Modern Biology Teaching and Research’ (09/05/2011) at Academic Research Centre, University of Delhi.