Large mammals

The African elephant is the heaviest land mammal in the world

As large mammals in the be Zoology relatively large growing Mammals (Mammalia), respectively. The exact body size to differentiate it from other mammals is not uniformly defined. While some authors only differentiate between large and small mammals , other authors also divide mammals into medium-sized mammals. The term is often used in nature conservation in connection with the reintroduction of large mammals that were previously locally exterminated. In paleontology it is often associated with the extinction of many large mammal species at the end of the Pleistocene .

Definition and system

The term large mammal is often used in the literature, but it is hardly defined. To distinguish it from other mammals, on the one hand the body size or weight and on the other hand the mammalian classification can be used. For example, all mammals with a body weight of over 1.6 kg or over 15 kg are referred to as large mammals.

In general, the term large mammals encompasses various groups of mammals that do not form a family unit. It is therefore a polyphyletic group in which the large body size developed independently of one another in the course of evolution . In a study of mammals in sub-Saharan Africa following are regulations defined as large mammals: odd-toed ungulates (Perissodactyla), mammoths (Proboscidea), primates (Primates), predators (Carnivora), whales (Cetacea) and cloven-hoofed animals (Artiodactyla). However, this definition is not global and incomplete. The manatees (Sirenia) and tubular teeth (Tubulidentata) widespread there , which are significantly larger than some representatives of the predators and primates, are not listed. On a global level, at least the orders Diprotodontia and the tooth arms (pilosa) would have to be supplemented. The term large mammals is often used only for terrestrial mammals. This is likely due to the fact that, unlike small land mammals, there are no small marine mammals . The smallest marine mammals, the sea ​​otters , have a total body length of up to 157 cm.

Evolution of height

The Eurasian lynx was reintroduced in Germany

The mammals were until the end of the Cretaceous period with 15 kg significantly smaller than it is today. The extinction of the dinosaurs was the starting point for an evolution of many mammals to large mammals, as they could now occupy the ecological niches of the dinosaurs.

Large herbivores have an advantage over smaller herbivores, as the longer digestive system means that the food can be used more energetically. Large carnivores can also hunt large herbivores and have advantages over their competitors. However, the large body size also has disadvantages. Large mammals are dependent on a large amount of energy and have a higher risk of becoming extinct. The maximum body weight is also influenced by environmental factors such as B. the ambient temperature or the available land area.

Population depletion and resettlement of large mammals

Several large mammals that were once widespread in Europe were largely wiped out in Germany and Central Europe between the 14th and 20th centuries. These included wolves , Eurasian lynxes , brown bears , bison and elk . The causes of the extinction were increasing human influences on animals and their habitats. Deforestation , habitat fragmentation and hunting resulted in smaller and smaller populations that ultimately could not survive.

Protective measures have allowed relic populations to recover and spread over the past few decades. Some populations survived, especially east of Germany but also in the Alpine region . So returned z. B. wolves and elks from neighboring Poland to the Lower Oder Valley National Park . Additional resettlement projects ensured an increase in today's large mammal populations in Germany and Central Europe. In the Harz National Park , for example, 24 Eurasian lynx have been released into the wild since 2000 . The first project for the semi-wild settlement of bison takes place in the Rothaargebirge . So far, the brown bear has not resettled in Germany. The first attempt by “Bruno” , who immigrated from Italy to the German-Austrian border area, ended fatally. In other Central European countries, however, the brown bear was able to migrate successfully from neighboring countries. Here, too, additional resettlement measures helped to strengthen the populations .

According to the WWF , the Java rhinoceros is the world's rarest large mammal.

Extinction event at the end of the Pleistocene

See also: Extinction of large mammals at the end of the Pleistocene

Live reconstruction of large Pleistocene mammals

50,000 to 10,000 years ago (end of the Pleistocene ) there was a worldwide extinction of several large mammal species. The last ice age ruled in Europe at this time. Among other things, the woolly mammoths ( Mammuthus primigenius ), woolly rhinos ( Coelodonta antiquitatis ), cave lions ( Panthera spelaea ), cave bears ( Ursus spelaeus ) and giant deer ( Megaloceros giganteus ) died out in Germany. The reasons for the unusually high rates of extinction worldwide are controversial. Explanatory attempts include climate changes or human influence (“ overkill hypothesis ”).

literature

• G. Hartmann: Large mammals in landscape maintenance. In: Messages from the NNA. Volume 15, No. 1, 2004, pp. 6-8.
• W. v. Koenigswald: Exotics in the large mammal fauna of the last interglacial of Central Europe (PDF; 4.6 MB). In: Ice Age and the Present. Volume 41, 1991, pp. 70-84.
• DS Maehr, RF Noss, and JL Larkin: Large Mammal Restoration: Ecological And Sociological Challenges In The 21St Century. Island Press, Washington 2001.
• G. Menting: Nature conservation and the big suckers: Does the overkill hypothesis solve the legitimation crisis of nature conservation? In: Nature conservation and landscape planning: Journal for applied ecology. Volume 31, Issue 8, 1999, pp. 252-253.
• SE van Wieren: The management of population of large mammals (PDF; 804 kB). In: The scientific management of temperate communities for conservation (JA Bissonette and I. Storch, eds.). Island press, Washington 2003, pp. 321-340.

See also

• Mammals
• Small mammals
• Quaternary extinction wave

Web links

• Waldwissen GbR: Dossier return of large mammals . The conflict between humans and resettled large mammals on the information and communication platform waldwissen.net
• NABU Landesverband Brandenburg: NABU and hunters protect large mammals . Report on the return of extinct large mammals, November 17, 2007
• Landesjagdverband Schleswig-Holstein eV: Landesjagdverband calls for more space for large migratory mammals in the year of biodiversity . Report on a project to secure the migration routes of large mammals
• About.com: Mammals . Description of different mammal groups, characteristics and photos and listing of the ten largest mammals
• Lisa Zyga: Large mammal species live harder, die out faster . Article on faster extinction and evolution rates in large mammals on phys.org, May 7, 2008

Individual evidence

1. ↑ B. Lehmann: Mammals in the Saale-Unstrut-Triasland (PDF; 1.7 MB) Retrieved on October 17, 2012.
2. ↑ Forest habitat ( Memento of the original from January 13, 2011 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. . Website of the Federal Agency for Nature Conservation. Retrieved October 17, 2012. 
3. ↑ CJ Brown: Historic distribution of large mammals in the Greater Fish River Canyon Complex, southern Namibia, and recommendations for re-introductions (PDF; 1.3 MB). Namibia Nature Foundation. 2006, pp. 1-19.
4. ^ KF Emery: Assessing the impact of ancient Maya animal use. In: Journal for Nature Conservation. Volume 15, Issue 3, 2007, pp. 184-195
5. ^ P. Williams, N. Burgess and C. Rahbek: Assessing large flagship species for representing the diversity of sub-Saharan mammals. Pp. 85-99. In: Priorities for the Conservation of Mammalian Diversity: Has the Panda Had Its Day? (AC Entwistle and N. Dunstone, eds.). Cambridge University Press, Cambridge 2000
6. ↑ RM Nowak: Walker's mammals of the world. 6th edition. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore 1999, p. 745
7. ↑ ^{a b} FA Smith, AG Boyer, JH Brown, DP Costa, T. Dayan, SKM Ernest, AR Evans, M. Fortelius, JL Gittleman, MJ Hamilton, LE Harding, K. Lintulaakso, SK Lyons, C. McCain, JG Okie, JJ Saarinen, RM Sibly, PR Stephens, J. Theodor and MD Uhen: The Evolution of Maximum Body Size of Terrestrial Mammals. In: Science. Volume 330, Issue 6008, 2010, pp. 1216-1219.
8. ^ Kai Kupferschmidt: Growing to extinction Der Tagesspiegel. Retrieved November 5, 2012.
9. ↑ M. Cardillo, GM Mace, KE Jones, J. Bielby, ORP Bininda-Emonds, W. Sechrest, CDL Orme and A. Purvis: Multiple Causes of High Extinction Risk in Large Mammal Species. In: Science. Volume 309, Issue 5738, pp. 1239-1241.
10. ↑ Species portrait: Wisent (Bison bonasus). (PDF) WWF Germany , accessed on April 29, 2016 . 
11. ↑ Species portrait: Brown bear (Ursus arctos). (PDF) WWF Germany, May 2012, accessed on April 29, 2016 . 
12. ↑ Silke Wendler: Ten years of the International Park. In: Biology in Our Time. Volume 5, 2005, pp. 298-299.
13. ↑ Lynx . WWF website. Retrieved October 17, 2012.
14. ↑ Johannes Riedl and Julia Poettinger: Wisent looking for a hostel  ( page no longer available , search in web archives )  Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. . In: LWF Waldforschung aktuell. Volume 6, 2009, pp. 33-36.  
15. ↑ Brown bear (Ursus arctos). In: WWF -Artenlexikon. Retrieved April 29, 2016 . 
16. ↑ Java rhinos: The rarest large mammals in the world . WWF homepage. Retrieved October 31, 2012.
17. ^ PS Martin and RG Klein (eds.): Quaternary Extinctions: A Prehistoric Revolution, University of Arizona Press, Tucson 1984.