Sean B. Carroll

some of the some of the changes that um some of the unwanted changes that have happened in places so it's i give you the wolf example but you know in the tide pools on the pacific coast that certain starfish in the serengeti it's the wildebeest that the massive numbers of wildebeest just munching the grass have an enormous impact on the diversity and stability of that ecosystem.

So this gives us insight into really how these systems work and how we can better manage them in the future.

So this gives us insight into really how these systems work and how we can better manage them in the future.

So this gives us insight into really how these systems work and how we can better manage them in the future.

Well, I mean... You know, nature was around a long, you know, we're late comers to nature, right? Humans and human population growth is very, very recent. So most of these places, you know, have operated on their own without human intervention for hundreds of thousands or millions of years.

Well, I mean... You know, nature was around a long, you know, we're late comers to nature, right? Humans and human population growth is very, very recent. So most of these places, you know, have operated on their own without human intervention for hundreds of thousands or millions of years.

Well, I mean... You know, nature was around a long, you know, we're late comers to nature, right? Humans and human population growth is very, very recent. So most of these places, you know, have operated on their own without human intervention for hundreds of thousands or millions of years.

And then we came along and, you know, in either in settling these places or in wanting to exploit them, for example, think of things like the fur trade and things like this, where we took specific creatures because we wanted we wanted them for our own gain. We've disrupted the balance in in those systems. So from nature's point of view, these creatures are all good.

And then we came along and, you know, in either in settling these places or in wanting to exploit them, for example, think of things like the fur trade and things like this, where we took specific creatures because we wanted we wanted them for our own gain. We've disrupted the balance in in those systems. So from nature's point of view, these creatures are all good.

And then we came along and, you know, in either in settling these places or in wanting to exploit them, for example, think of things like the fur trade and things like this, where we took specific creatures because we wanted we wanted them for our own gain. We've disrupted the balance in in those systems. So from nature's point of view, these creatures are all good.

From our point of view, they were either bad or desirable for other reasons. And we You know, we eliminated them. And then we've really sort of, you know, tip these systems into a different place. So it's rethinking our relationship to nature, you know, not to not to make ourselves out as the, you know, as bad and evil or anything like that. It's just we're doing this unwittingly.

From our point of view, they were either bad or desirable for other reasons. And we You know, we eliminated them. And then we've really sort of, you know, tip these systems into a different place. So it's rethinking our relationship to nature, you know, not to not to make ourselves out as the, you know, as bad and evil or anything like that. It's just we're doing this unwittingly.

From our point of view, they were either bad or desirable for other reasons. And we You know, we eliminated them. And then we've really sort of, you know, tip these systems into a different place. So it's rethinking our relationship to nature, you know, not to not to make ourselves out as the, you know, as bad and evil or anything like that. It's just we're doing this unwittingly.

We just didn't understand our impact when we, for example. eliminated most of the sea otters, for example, from the Pacific coast. And what that did amazingly to kelp forests, you know, you'd sort of think, I mean, why would, why would sea otters have any influence on kelp forests? Well, it turns out they eat the things that eat the kelp forests.

We just didn't understand our impact when we, for example. eliminated most of the sea otters, for example, from the Pacific coast. And what that did amazingly to kelp forests, you know, you'd sort of think, I mean, why would, why would sea otters have any influence on kelp forests? Well, it turns out they eat the things that eat the kelp forests.

We just didn't understand our impact when we, for example. eliminated most of the sea otters, for example, from the Pacific coast. And what that did amazingly to kelp forests, you know, you'd sort of think, I mean, why would, why would sea otters have any influence on kelp forests? Well, it turns out they eat the things that eat the kelp forests.

And if you don't have sea otters, the kelp forests can't grow. And those kelp forests are great habitat for fish. And those fish are great food for bald eagles, et cetera, et cetera. So there are all these domino effects that removal of these, what are called keystone species, uh,

And if you don't have sea otters, the kelp forests can't grow. And those kelp forests are great habitat for fish. And those fish are great food for bald eagles, et cetera, et cetera. So there are all these domino effects that removal of these, what are called keystone species, uh,

And if you don't have sea otters, the kelp forests can't grow. And those kelp forests are great habitat for fish. And those fish are great food for bald eagles, et cetera, et cetera. So there are all these domino effects that removal of these, what are called keystone species, uh,

Keystones, dubbed after the name of the keystone in a Roman arch, removal of these keystones have really outsized effects on systems. And so their restoration can have outsized effects on the restoration of the health of these ecosystems.