Scenario:
Picture the northern part of Africa where the mighty Sahara desert stretches for hundreds of miles. Let us imagine that at one time there were many more creatures living there than we see today. Let us say that there were some cooler temperatures and more rainfall with more watering holes. There were zebras, horses, camels, wild hogs, and even antelope because there was just enough vegetation to support them. A variety of snakes lived in the watering holes and some snakes lived strictly on land and in the sand. There were birds that lived by the water’s edge and ducks that lived on its surface. Other birds could fly for many, many miles before they had to stop for food or water. There were different types of grasses growing by the water, with an abundant amounts of insects. Some insects like the scorpion did not need much water and could live far from it, burrowing down into the sand. Other insects, like some beetles, burrowed down into the sand .
As time went on the rain came fewer and fewer times during the year. The watering holes began to dry up and were smaller and in many parts dried up altogether. Some creatures would have the genes to allow them to survive the new climate and some would not.
Which creatures from the story do you think would survive in the new, dryer environment?
Picture the northern part of Africa where the mighty Sahara desert stretches for hundreds of miles. Let us imagine that at one time there were many more creatures living there than we see today. Let us say that there were some cooler temperatures and more rainfall with more watering holes. There were zebras, horses, camels, wild hogs, and even antelope because there was just enough vegetation to support them. A variety of snakes lived in the watering holes and some snakes lived strictly on land and in the sand. There were birds that lived by the water’s edge and ducks that lived on its surface. Other birds could fly for many, many miles before they had to stop for food or water. There were different types of grasses growing by the water, with an abundant amounts of insects. Some insects like the scorpion did not need much water and could live far from it, burrowing down into the sand. Other insects, like some beetles, burrowed down into the sand .
As time went on the rain came fewer and fewer times during the year. The watering holes began to dry up and were smaller and in many parts dried up altogether. Some creatures would have the genes to allow them to survive the new climate and some would not.
Which creatures from the story do you think would survive in the new, dryer environment?