by Rachel Katz, learned primate
My research
of grassland birds and food chain dynamics is coming to an end. My thesis is
nearly complete. During my long days in the field, I honed my skills in ethology,
the study of animal behavior.
I now spend most of my time studying a peculiar subcultural colony of human beings (Homo sapiens sapiens). I have begun to apply my ethological methodology to this unique group.
Even a cursory study of this population reveals that they are unusual. They form much smaller territories and smaller dens than is normative for the species. Some even create shared dens with non-related conspecifics.
They exhibit less sexual dimorphism, and less clear pair and family bonds. Cooperative child rearing among wholly unrelated individuals is not uncommon.
They display less competitive exclusion with other animals and plants, allowing them into their dens. Heretofore, there has been no evidence of them producing the protective poisons that are so often displayed by their species.
However, even to those who prefer to split taxonomic groups into finer categories, this group is clearly made up of Homo sapiens sapiens and should not be put into its own species.
Human beings in general are an invasive species that left the habitat in which
they evolved a mere 120,000 years ago. Due to this range expansion, they are
ill-equipped to deal with the climate in central North America. To this end,
they generally craft coverings for themselves to compensate for their sparse
fur. The particular subspecies of human beings I am studying must lack resources
or technology, because their protective gear is often shabby, or missing altogether.
As is common for the species, they have some sort of mutualistic relationship
with a subspecies of the gray wolf (Canis lupis familiaris). Careful study has
not evinced the exact nature of this relationship, and it seems even more complex
and idiosyncratic in this particular population.
Though they are reluctant to migrate, their home range is much smaller than normal for their species. Generally, human beings range anywhere from 10-60 miles on a daily basis. Most of this population ranges within 1-3 miles, sometimes not leaving the communal territory for days on end.
Ironically, this contrasts with obvious long-distance dispersal from relatives. Genetic testing of the population and nearby populations shows almost no relatedness within the population or between it and neighboring populations, which themselves tend have a very high percentage of shared alleles.
In conclusion, while not different enough morphologically to be defined as a new species, this population is an interesting case study in the behavioral diversity that can be present within a species, especially one that exhibits the extreme plasticity of human beings. Hopefully, more extensive scientific attention will be directed to Dancing Rabbit in the future.
Child's Play*
Levels of Closeness*
Ask a Rabbit*
Paths of Growth*
A Moving Story*
Nature Corner*
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