Re: Progress schmogress (was Re: competition)

["Adam Britton" <abritton@wmi.com.au>]

----- Original Message -----
From: "Jean-michel BENOIT" <Jean-Michel.BENOIT@gemplus.com>
Subject: RE: Progress schmogress (was Re: competition)


> On the same subject, I've always wondered why Parasuchians disappeared to
> be replaced by real crocs in the same habitats, apparently sharing the
> same global body construction. Was it competition, progress,
> specializations or something else? Or am I mistaken in my assumptions?
> Jean-Michel


Presumably because there's a lot more to a species' propensity for survival
than merely body form. Behaviour and particularly population and
reproductive ecology, not to mention environmental influences that may
differ (habitat, prey availability, etc) all contribute to a particular
species' ability to survive at any given moment. Modern crocs have
significant potential to cope with stressful conditions and/or recover from
population declines, but this may not always have been the case.

Adam Britton