Future+Animal

Earrybeast //( ////Connochaetes bestia) // //Figure 1: Earrybeast// The earrybeast is a future generation of the blue wildebeest.

**Scientific Classification ** The earrybeast was given its name due to the word 'earry' signifying the evolution of their large ears in comparison to those of the blue wildebeest. It is also known as ‘magna aures bestia’, which is Latin for ‘big eared beast’.
 * **Level** || Kingdom || Phylum || Class || Order || Family || Genus || Species ||
 * **Classification** || Animalia || Chordata  || Mammalia  || Artiodactyla  || Bovidae  || Connochaetes || Bestia ||

**Habitat ** 20 million years later the earrybeast still lives and migrates in the same habitat as the blue wildebeest—around south and eastern Africa. However the climate has significantly changed due to global warming. In comparison to the already hot African savannah weather 20 million years ago, temperatures have risen to approx. 50 degrees Celsius (minimum) and above. //Figure 2: A look into the future at an extremely hot African environment caused by global warming.// // Figure 3: They still live and roam the Woodlands and Savannah's of Africa, however the plantation are drier in comparison to the modern day conditions of plantation. // // Figure 4: The Earrybeast remains in the same location the Blue Wildebeest did; South and Eastern Africa, ranging from Kenya to South Africa. //

**Adaptations ** __ Structural/ Physical __The earrybeast has acquired significantly larger ears to adapt to the extreme hot conditions of its environment. These large ears assist in many different ways in reducing its body temperature; for example the larger surface area allows more heat to be given off at a faster rate in comparison to smaller ears. __<span style="font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode','Lucida Grande',sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Behavioural __<span style="color: #000000; display: block; font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode','Lucida Grande',sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt; text-align: left;">Much like the behaviour of the african elephant, the earrybeast continuously flaps its large ears to transfer more heat from its body to the environment. These ears also act as a reliable and immediate fanning system for the earrybeast when it is on the move. This behaviour furthermore helps it cope with the hot weather conditions that constantly surround it. __<span style="font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode','Lucida Grande',sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Physiological __<span style="color: #000000; display: block; font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode','Lucida Grande',sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt; text-align: left;">Within its ears, networks of tiny blood vessels can be found; these blood vessels are visible to the human eye as it runs close to the surface of the skin. The thinness of the ears also helps an efficient transfer of heat. The earrybeast is able to control the dilation and constriction of the blood vessels to regulate its body temperature. //Figure 5: A hand-drawn diagram of the Earrybeast. Also labelled with three adaptations that are crucial and beneficial for its survival; Structural, Behavioural and Physiological.//

**<span style="font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode','Lucida Grande',sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;">Selection Pressure ** <span style="color: #000000; display: block; font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode','Lucida Grande',sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt; text-align: left;">The three adaptations above—structural, behavioural and physiological—have assisted the earrybeast in surviving and adapting to the extreme weather conditions that exist due to global warming. The adaptations allows it to maintain a steady body temperature so that its enzymes are able to function properly. Although the blue wildebeest did not require so many different adaptations to assist it in surviving the hot African weather, this is not possible for the earrybeast as 20 million years later, temperatures have risen and water quantities have become scarcer due to global warming.

<span style="display: block; font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode','Lucida Grande',sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;">**Bibliography**

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