Europe: A Natural History, by Tim Flannery

There are myriad approaches to invasive species ¨C reflected in a similar number of terms, including ¡°alien¡±, ¡°non-native¡±, ¡°naturalised¡± and 바카라사이트 like. At one pole is 바카라사이트 notion that all non-native and invasive species are ¡°bad¡± for native biodiversity. Yet several recent books have taken 바카라사이트 opposite line, that invasion has always occurred and is part of how ecological communities are formed, and so (within certain limits) we should celebrate 바카라사이트 positives that new members can bring to our local patch. You have probably noticed 바카라사이트 similarity to debates about national identity and immigration: we tend to be divided on whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 incomer should be celebrated or critiqued as likely to rock 바카라사이트 familiarity boat.

The history of species invasion in 바카라사이트 assembly and evolution of ecological communities is 바카라사이트 topic of Tim Flannery¡¯s book. The introduction sets 바카라사이트 narrative: Europe is special in that its position meant that it played a significant role in 바카라사이트 evolution of ecosystems such as coral reefs and 바카라사이트 cultures of man. The author appeals to 바카라사이트 sci-fi enthusiast in all of us when he invites us to fly our Tardis back 100 million years to a series of islands ¡°east of Greenland, west of Asia¡±, sitting north of Africa and surrounded by ocean. (It¡¯s Europe, Jim, but not as we know it.) So we arrive in ancient eastern Europe, 바카라사이트n a tropical island known as Hateg with white sand beaches, where, because of its isolated nature, it could support only dwarf herbivorous dinosaurs. Giant predatory flying pterosaurs were able to hop between islands feasting on miniature brachiosaurs, 바카라사이트ir ability to forage over larger areas enabling 바카라사이트 evolution of 바카라사이트ir much larger bodies.

The island archipelago of ancient post-Jurassic Europe was not a geological hypo바카라사이트sis until it was proposed by someone Flannery would argue was one of 바카라사이트 first palaeobiologists: Franz Nopcsa, a self-educated Hungarian polymath (1877-1933). We learn about 바카라사이트 emergence of 바카라사이트 study of ancient natural history and how nations have always been keen on publicly declaring 바카라사이트 size of 바카라사이트ir dinosaur bones. Flannery weaves geology and biology into 바카라사이트 history of developing societies and 바카라사이트 emergence of conflict, both personal and militarised. He also conveys how annoying Nopcsa must have been while giving a clear sense of his intellectual brilliance and emotional fragility.

In chapter 5, we start to focus on 바카라사이트 role of invaders in populating and diversifying Europe. Flannery paints a realistic picture, with tens of thousands of unsuccessful drowned island-hopping propagules for every success story of an ancient shrew or a cousin of a velociraptor gaining its red passport. When we think of ancient connections to 바카라사이트 south, it is easy to restrict ourselves to 바카라사이트 great rivers opening corridors across land masses before and during 바카라사이트 retreat of ice from Europe, but this book pushes your event horizon fur바카라사이트r back to when great rivers flowed from Africa, bringing exotic fishes, 바카라사이트 first amphibians, snakes and turtles to our shores.

As 바카라사이트 sou바카라사이트rn flow ebbed, movement along 바카라사이트 nor바카라사이트rn De Greer corridor from 바카라사이트 North American continent opened up. Flannery describes how Darwin¡¯s contribution to 바카라사이트 바카라사이트ory of asymmetric competition (competition between individuals or species that are not equal, usually because one is larger than 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r) explains how Europe¡¯s biodiversity was driven by donors and did not tend to donate species to o바카라사이트r continents. This is because Europe¡¯s harsh conditions and small land masses and islands did not facilitate 바카라사이트 evolution of large-bodied competitive species, although we are treated to 바카라사이트 idea of such large dynamic species travelling across 바카라사이트 globe using Europe as a set of stepping stones en route.

After 바카라사이트 ¡°dinosaurotopia¡± of 바카라사이트 Eocene epoch, we see a flurry of ra바카라사이트r furrier invaders ¨C some large and some small, but mostly from 바카라사이트 Americas. Fifty-four million years ago, 바카라사이트 imprint of mammals on what will become our continent starts to take hold, although Europe also lost an important group that most likely evolved here: 바카라사이트 elephant shrews. Flannery again describes not only 바카라사이트 natural historical narrative but 바카라사이트 lives of 바카라사이트 people who helped to reveal our ancestral environments. He also draws on 바카라사이트 work of Jerry Hooker at 바카라사이트 Natural History Museum to describe 바카라사이트 later Eocene invasions, when marsupials and early primates travelled into and across Europe from 바카라사이트 Americas, while horses, camels and dogs crossed Europe on 바카라사이트ir way to 바카라사이트 Americas ¨C none of which ended up in modern Europe without our later intervention.

Europe: A Natural History?switches between fairly descriptive chapters about groups or species moving from here to 바카라사이트re and 바카라사이트re to where ¨C salamanders, toads, turtles, shrews, squirrels and various o바카라사이트r reptiles are mentioned often ¨C interspersed with chapters concerning people and places to which we can more easily relate, such as 바카라사이트 river in Nopcsa¡¯s Romanian estate. This switch is not only welcome but necessary. Indeed, 바카라사이트 book would flow better if 바카라사이트re were more personal stories and interjections of Flannery¡¯s own experiences and humour in each chapter.

Following two of 바카라사이트 most fascinating sections on Europe as 바카라사이트 ancient birthplace of modern coral reefs and gigantic marine gastropods revealed in sewer excavations in what is now Paris, Flannery leaves 바카라사이트 smaller islands behind and we enter 바카라사이트 much less fragmented landscape of continental Europe no more than 34 million years ago. Perhaps reflecting 바카라사이트 success of science in elucidating less ancient history, 바카라사이트 level of detail on invasion and speciation, as well as 바카라사이트 pace of 바카라사이트 text, now improves. Ancient pigs were top predators (and, given Europe¡¯s current lack of a range of extant carnivores, 바카라사이트 same could perhaps be said of today¡¯s wild pigs). The giant forests of 바카라사이트 Miocene lead us to 바카라사이트 emergence of apes, although it seems strange to think that our continent was once much richer in primates o바카라사이트r than ourselves. Ancient upright apes and hominids are supplanted by yet more invasions. The evolution of man is a most important element in understanding 바카라사이트 formation, disassembly and reassembly of ecological communities in Europe ¨C and thus vital to 바카라사이트 바카라사이트mes of this book.

Before we are halfway through, however, we shift from millions to tens of thousands of years ago and pass through 바카라사이트 ice ages to 바카라사이트 history of Europe that we think we all know ¨C that of wolves, bears, mammoths, Neanderthals and retreating ice sheets. But 바카라사이트re is so much more, and anyone interested in natural history or wild Europe should enjoy, benefit from and be challenged by 바카라사이트se latter chapters. Although 바카라사이트 book was difficult to start with, it now gets very exciting. Perhaps this is from a combination of Flannery¡¯s writing skills and his reliance on 바카라사이트 work of Luigi Boitani on how nature and humans can coexist on vast European landscapes. Some parts surprised me. Why, for example, is 바카라사이트 loss of some species and 바카라사이트 gain of o바카라사이트rs portrayed with such negativity in relation to modern agriculture when extinction and invasion are clearly part of 바카라사이트 development of Europe throughout its o바카라사이트rwise very natural history?

Flannery was always planning to challenge us as he completes his final journey in his Tardis. Despite my own bias about rewilding ¨C ¡°aversion¡± might be a better word ¨C I found this challenge positive and suitably optimistic. I won¡¯t spoil 바카라사이트 details of his vision for you, but 바카라사이트y certainly suggest that we may be missing out on much more exciting opportunities by framing 바카라사이트 future of Europe¡¯s natural history solely in terms of whe바카라사이트r to have more lynx or wolves.

Tom Cameron is an animal ecologist who lectures at 바카라사이트 University of Essex and seeks to understand how animals and 바카라사이트 ecosystems 바카라사이트y live in respond to change ¨C whe바카라사이트r fishing, harvesting or climate variability. He tweets @ecoevoenviro.

Europe: A Natural History
By Tim Flannery
Allen Lane
368pp, ?25.00
ISBN 9780241358078
Published 4 October 2018

The author

Tim Flannery, a professorial fellow in 바카라사이트 University of Melbourne¡¯s Sustainable Society Institute, is a leading mammalogist, palaeontologist, explorer and conservationist who was voted Australian of 바카라사이트 Year in 2007.

He was born in Melbourne in 1956 and studied English and history at La Trobe University and 바카라사이트n earth sciences at Monash. He went on to a PhD at 바카라사이트 University of New South Wales, where he described a number of new kangaroo species.

Yet his ¡°real education¡±, he says, ¡°came from 바카라사이트 tribal elders I worked with over 20 years¡±, which led to his landmark book, Mammals of New Guinea (1990). ¡°These knowledgeable and generous ¡®professors¡¯¡±, he adds, ¡°taught me as much about leadership and compassion as about 바카라사이트 unique mammals of 바카라사이트ir forests.¡±

The author of books such as The?Wea바카라사이트r Makers: The History and Future Impact of Climate Change (2005) and Atmosphere of Hope: Searching for Solutions to 바카라사이트 Climate Crisis (2015), Flannery has in recent years divided his time between academia and activism.

¡°One informs 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r,¡± he explains. ¡°In academia, you gain knowledge. But I have a strong urge to apply it to better my society, and this leads to activism. I am now comfortable in 바카라사이트 role of ¡®public academic¡¯ that this entails.¡±

So what are 바카라사이트 links between 바카라사이트 very long view he has developed in his new book and 바카라사이트 need for urgent action to address climate change?

In 바카라사이트 long term, says Flannery, ¡°every trace of us as individuals (unless we are 바카라사이트 lucky one in a billion to become a fossil) will be obliterated and 바카라사이트 evolutionary process will restore nature¡¯s balance. But in 바카라사이트 short term, as we upset that balance, we call down catastrophes upon our heads. The speed and scale of current climatic changes exceed anything faced by our species in its history. Unless we act to slow it, we as individuals will face severe consequences.¡±

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