Hippotragus+Leucophaeus

//ZIJING CHU 10B//

EXTINCT ANIMAL {HIPPOTRAGUS LEUCOPHAEUS} / MODERN ANIMAL {WILDEBEEST} / FUTURE ANIMAL {FORESTUHBEEST}

=BLUEBUCK {HIPPOTRAGUS LEUCOPHAEUS} = **INTRO** Many scientists had identified and proven that Bluebuck has been extinct for more that 211 years from now. The scientific name that has been given to this animal is the Hippotragus leucophaeus. This page is going to briefly outline the habitats and the adaptations that this animal uses to live in and give some explanations for its extinction.

**GENERAL INFORMATION**
 * Scientific Classification**


 * ** Kingdom: ** || ** [|Animalia] ** ||
 * ** Phylum: ** || [|Chordata] ||
 * ** Class: ** || [|Mammalia] ||
 * ** Order: ** || [|Artiodactyla] ||
 * ** Family: ** || [|Bovidae] ||
 * ** Subfamily: ** || [|Hippotraginae] ||
 * ** Genus: ** || [|Hippotragus] ||
 * ** Species: ** || H. leucophaeus ||

**HABITAT**


 * Bluebuck (Figure no.1) ||
 * [[image:https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/267833_141552855919432_100001941560811_303631_7444793_n.jpg width="1008" height="636"]]

[] ||

[|Pallas], 1766 || http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c2/LocationBluebuckRange.gif || The //Hippotragus leucophaeus// is an extinct species of antelope, known to be the first large African mammal to be extinct. As scientist and archeologist has been tracing for its modern animal, it is most likely to be related to the [|Roan Antelope] and [|Sable Antelope]. When Europeans settled in the Cape Colony, in 17th & 18th century, bluebuck was restricted to the area of Swellendom (a part in South Africa) this area is shown in red in (Figure 2). The habitat of the //Hippotragus leucophaeus// was comparatively well watered and is accounted for a grassy country at that particular time, suggesting that water sources were essential on a daily basis. The //Hippotragus leucophaeus// were living in small herds of around twenty to thirty, they were herbivores (just like the wildebeest) indicating that their diet were only consisting of the limited grass lands of South Africa at that time, if they were lucky they also ate leafs and browse.
 * **// Bluebuck Range of Habitat SOUTH AFRICA //**(Figure no.2)
 * [[image:http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c2/LocationBluebuckRange.gif width="650" height="291"]]

The bluebuck was frequently found in costal regions of South Africa and is near to the east side of Hottentots Holland Mountains. Grassland, which was not more than 4000 km wide, was untouched by the //Hippotragus leucophaeus// due to their amount (in groups) and due to the grass’s quality. The //Hippotragus leucophaeus// was mostly found in hilly areas. They were also found in high elevations up to 2400m above sea level, due to their needs of water. They also avoided short grasses and woodland where trees formed a thick canopy or thickets. The habitat changed because of the less grass that was available eaten by other species such as sheep consequently it threatened the //Hippotragus leucophaeus.//

**ADAPTATION**

__**Structural Adaptation no.1**__

The //Hippotragus leucophaeus// was quite large compared to the antelopes we see nowadays. The Bluebuck had some features of the horse, equivalent with the Javan or the English horse now. This physical appearance made itself look fierce and it might have been used to scare off other predators with his body size. The //Hippotragus leucophaeus// was counted as one of the largest antelope ever lived on earth; other larger antelope included the Giant Wildebeest (a direct ancestor of the Wildebeest seen nowadays). However there was a disadvantage to its humongous size, and it was that it frightened or gained notice from the humans at that time. It has been predicted that due to the largeness of the //Hippotragus leucophaeus// human had the inclination to start hunting down these antelope. To support this guess was that the //Hippotragus leucophaeus// was tasteless and so the hunting of these animals weren’t used for feasting.

__**Structural Adaptation no.2**__

The //Hippotragus leucophaeus// had a relatively long and strong neck. It also had a very short and underdeveloped mane measured only to about 50 to 61 cm (20-24 inches). These features of evolution may have caused great advantages and mainly disadvantages that might of caused its extinction. Advantages that the //Hippotragus leucophaeus// has evolved into is the long and strong neck, this helps the //Hippotragus leucophaeus// to eat leaves or grass that are high up, and the long neck can contribute to the drinking habits helping them to put their mouths into the water and not drop in and drown because of the weight of the manes. But the main disadvantage that the //Hippotragus leucophaeus// carried was the relatively short manes. This meant that when it comes to defense and protection this animal was really weak.

__**Behavioral Adaptation no.1**__

The //Hippotragus leucophaeus//, cows and calves lived in small sized groups usually consisting of 5 to 20 individuals, some herd may even consist up to 35 to 80 individuals. Cows at that time had a similar habitat and so they shared the same area, including several bulls and it was occupied for a long period of time up to 30 years. Their range of activity is usually small area around 4/km2.

Through the evolution of the antelope specie, it has obviously developed a quite close relationship with other animals within its habitat range and has accepted it into their own herd. And this behavioral evolution has advantaged and disadvantaged the //Hippotragus leucophaeus.// It has advantaged the //Hippotragus leucophaeus// because when predators attack them, there is a better chance to run away from the predators. But from this advantage there comes a disadvantage, and the disadvantage is that when hunters comes to find cows and calves they will at the same time find the //Hippotragus leucophaeus// which would lead the hunters to gain interest to this special kind of antelope.

__**Behavioral Adaptation no.2**__

The herd’s structure changed due to the changing of days, seasons and situation. Groups would usually split into smaller groups during the rainy season to minimize the chance of getting wet by hiding in places in small groups creating more space to hide, and on the best offered grassland that are near water during dry seasons the //Hippotragus leucophaeus//, cows and bulls would all concentrate into larger groups so that the food could be shared equally to every individuals in order to continue to survive. Some of the most consistent groups were sustained by calves, which clustered around the youngest calf and usually protected Youngers at the back of the herd.

This behavioral evolution has been a great success (until the humans arrived). It was a self-sustained system that develops responsibilities between individuals in the group; it enhances the likability of survival in the wild. But out of this protection came a disadvantage to the //Hippotragus leucophaeus// for defense. Due to the great protection of the bulls and cows, the //Hippotragus leucophaeus// didn’t have a chance to develop better protection for itself and that might be Bereasons that lead to the extinction of its kind.

__**Behavioral Adaptation no.3**__

The birth mass of a Hippotragus leucophaeus calf would weighted to be around 12kg to 14 kg. Their growth period would last for 268 to 281 days, and the calves would be able to eat sleep and live on their own. There wasn’t any fixed times for giving birth, but summer was found to be the most popular to be breeding. The age of the //Hippotragus leucophaeus// would normally only last till 18 years old and they die.

This behavioral adaptation has evolved mainly relating back to the behavioral adaptation no.2. This behavioral adaptation that the //Hippotragus leucophaeus// has adapted is the long breeding habits. This animal can only breed once a year and it is based on an irregular basis that causes a disadvantage to their survival on earth. For a //Hippotragus leucophaeus// to be fully-grown takes nearly a year’s time that creates a great disadvantage to the calf’s survival. This might be a great reason why this type of antelope has been wiped out on earth.

**Extinction Pressure**

In conclusion the extinction of the blue antelope (//Hippotragus leucophaeus//) was documented poorly and it wasn’t recorded in detail and so the understanding of its extinction is really abstract. Some has described that the extinction of the //Hippotragus leucophaeus// consisted a combination of the loss of habitat and exceed hunting caused by the early European settlers. The distribution and the profusion of this type of antelope were modeled and scientist has gained some insight into the progress of its extinction. The results of this model indicates that before the arrival of Europeans the //Hippotragus leucophaeus// were restricted to a small area consisting of only 4,300 km with a small population of only 370 individuals. This small population had been defenseless to stochastic effect and was trapped and was leading itself to extinction. The hunting from the Europeans created enough pressure to lead this animal to its extinction, meaning that by the time the Europeans were hunting for the //Hippotragus leucophaeus//, they were already on the edge of extinction and the European hunters were just the ones to finish them off.

= Bibliography {ALPHABETICAL ORDER} =

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 * 1) Kerley, G. I., Sims-Castley, R., Boshoff, A. F., & Cowling, R. M. (2011). //Abstract//. Retrieved June 15th, 2011, from cabdirect: http://www.cabdirect.org/abstracts/20093340300.html;jsessionid=1B8FB7977A72E0C0FC3859B2B329C8DA
 * 1) The Extinction Website. (2010, March 3rd). //Hippotragus leucophaeus//. Retrieved June 14th, 2011, from The Extinction Website : http://www.petermaas.nl/extinct/speciesinfo/bluebuck.htm
 * 1) THEWEBSITEOFEVERYTHING. (2010). //Bluebuck//. Retrieved June 16th, 2011, from Blue Buck: http://thewebsiteofeverything.com/animals/mammals/Artiodactyla/Bovidae/Hippotragus/Hippotragus-leucophaeus.html
 * 1) Wikipedia . (2011, April 9th ). //Wikipedia Bluebuck//. Retrieved June 14th, 2011, from Bluebuck: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bluebuck