TPO 34

The professor says that the reason of extinction of sea cows around Bering Island is not clear yet. In addition, he criticised the reasons which are mentioned by the passage.

First, the first reason in the passage is about overhunting of native people because the sea cow is a good source of food for them. The professor refutes this point. He states that sea cows were massive animals. Their weight was near about ten pounds and each of them could provide food for a long duration for the natives. He adds that the native population at that time in the island was not very large. So they did not to need to hunt many of sea cows.

Second, changing the ecosystems around the Bering Island can cause the shortage of kelp as a main source of food for sea cows which is followed by decreasing in a number of sea cows mentioned by the passage. However, the professor disagrees with this point too. He says that if there was any changing in the ecosystem it should affect other marine animals like whales too while, there was not any evidence about changing on other parts of the Island.

Finally, the passage states that fur traders can cause the extinction of sea cows. The professor indicates that by the time European arrived the Bering Island the number of sea cows was already decreased. The extinction happened long before the European came there.