Endangered Species

Have you ever heard someone use the term "dead as a dodo"? The dodo this saying refers to was a flightless bird species that lived on an island in the Indian Ocean. The bird, which weighed about 46 pounds (22 kilograms), first encountered humans in the 16th century. Inhabitants of the island found that they could easily hunt and kill the dodo, both for food and for sport. By 1681 there were no dodos left on the island or anywhere else in the world. They had become extinct. People often associate the word "extinct" with dinosaurs, which have not lived on Earth for more than 66 million years. But there are many creatures, like the dodo, that have only recently become extinct.

Many scientists blame these extinctions on humans. Although extinct species cannot be brought back to life, plants and animals that are endangered, or in danger of becoming extinct, can still be saved.

Preserving endangered species is considered by many scientists to be the key to preserving biodiversity, or the variety of life. Biodiversity is important not only because we enjoy having many different types of plants and animals, but also because all living things play important roles in the "ecoregions" in which they live. Ecoregions are what World Wildlife Fund calls places characterized by distinct climates, ecological features, and plant and animal communities.
(Nationalgeographic.com “Preserving Biodiversity”)

Your Task

You will be exploring famous Chemists and Physicists and their major contributions to society.

1. Follow your teacher's requirements sheet.

2. Below are links to helpful resources.

Web Links

Endangered Species lists:

U.S. Fish and Wildlife:

World Conservation Movement

EELink

Animal Information:

World Wildlife Fund

Animal Info(mammals)

Endangered Species of the Next Millenium

Encyclopedia of Life and Endangered Species