The Disappearing Monarch and the Oldest Mammal on Earth

TL;DR

• Monarch butterflies facing endangerment due to habitat loss while bowhead whales' longevity secrets are being studied.

Transcript

1990s pretty awesome right we had Game Boys and Pokemon and Boris Yeltsin and a whopping 1 billion monarch butterflies living on earth unfortunately a lot of Jane since then they still have faux c'mon but Boris Yeltsin was replaced by Vladimir Putin who's not nearly as much fun and the number of monarch butterfly's has dropped by a whopping 90 perc... Read More

Key Insights

• 🦋 Monarch butterfly population has decreased by 90% since the 1990s due to habitat loss.
• 😒 Herbicide use in the Midwest has reduced milkweed habitat critical for monarch butterfly survival.
• 🦋 Climate change and deforestation in Mexico may also contribute to the decline of monarch butterflies.
• 👂 US Fish and Wildlife Service considering listing monarch butterflies as endangered for habitat protection.
• 🐳 Bowhead whales are the world's longest living mammals, with some living over 200 years.
• 🐳 Bowhead whales have unique gene mutations associated with aging and longevity.
• 🐳 PCNA gene mutation in bowhead whales helps repair DNA damage and prolongs cell life.

Questions & Answers

Q: Why is the monarch butterfly population decreasing?

The monarch butterfly population is declining due to factors like habitat loss from herbicide use, climate change, and deforestation, reducing milkweed availability for caterpillars.

Q: What impact could listing monarch butterflies as endangered have?

Listing monarch butterflies as endangered could lead to extensive habitat protections on public and private lands in the United States, but it would take time for their populations to recover.

Q: How do bowhead whales achieve their exceptional longevity?

Bowhead whales have unique gene mutations associated with aging, such as in the PCNA gene, which helps repair DNA damage and prolongs cell life, allowing them to live for centuries.

Q: What are scientists studying in bowhead whales' genomes?

Scientists are comparing bowhead whales' genomes with other mammals to identify genes associated with aging and longevity, like the PCNA gene mutation that aids in DNA repair.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• Monarch butterfly population has decreased by 90% since the 1990s due to habitat loss from herbicides, climate change, and deforestation.

• US Fish and Wildlife Service considering listing monarch butterflies as endangered due to declining milkweed habitat in the Midwest.

• Bowhead whales, the world's longest living mammals, have unique gene mutations contributing to their exceptional longevity.