Ask HN: What would be the effect on our earth if humans would disappear?

10 points

12 years ago

Recently I came across several discussions about eradicating mosquitoes - reasoning that the world would be a better place without them[1] - even though in some climates they are crucial for survival of other species.

[1] http://www.nature.com/news/2010/100721/full/466432a.html

I tried to find content about how relevant humans are to other life forms on earth and wonder what species (if there are at all) is totally dependent on humankind and would go extinct if we would vanish from the face of the planet?

This is probably a silly (and somewhat morbid) question. Yet how important are we to the ecosystem? Or have we managed to detach ourselves so far from mother nature during the course of evolution that we no longer matter?

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