Changes in Earth's Orbit Linked to Extinctions

Josh Fink writes "A group of Dutch Scientists have recently released a study stating that they have found that changes in Earth's orbit around the sun are linked to mammal extinctions. From the article: '"Extinctions in rodent species occur in pulses which are spaced by intervals controlled by astronomical variations and their effects on climate change..." The cycles are associated with lower temperatures, changes in precipitation, habitats, vegetation and food availability which are the main factors influencing the extinction peaks, the study published in the journal Nature said.' So on top of worrying about global warming, it seems we should also worry about the physics that govern the orbit of Earth around the sun. Too bad we don't have a way of keeping the Earth in the same orbit/on the same axis of rotation."

Comments

What are these people smokin'!

[Black-Six]

Is there anyone else who fail's to see the logic in such things as global warming and mass extinctions affecting the orbit of the Earth? I mean come on guys come up with something that actually has the ability to be proven and/or not able to be biased souley to the opinion of the Ph.D.'s in that feild. Come up with something that can be physically proven, repeated several times with same results, and don't setup the test so that it's so tipped in your favor that nobody else but you can be proven right. Now I know I'll get modded for being off-topic but this example is from personal experience and shows exactly whats going on here. One of my co-workers at Wal-Mart is studying enviromental science and we got into a heated debate over global warming. She told me that after 1 hour of operation a car produces more CO2 than there is in 1 cubic KM of air at 35,000 feet. As soon as I began to attack the method of testing that proved her data true, she immediatley began the "I'm right, you're wrong!" course of thinking and wouldn't hear of anything that might actually prove global warming wrong. She said that if that test method isn't used (geusstimation and very closely rounded numbers made to fit there uses), then we are all doomed to live through another Ice Age in the very near future.

Yes I agree that things like these need to be taken seriously, to a certain degree though. If its out of our control why worry about it and make others lifes suck, just to justify our own point of view?

Just my $.02!

Re:Why is it?

[operagost]

My problem with the whole GW crowd is how they will quickly object or attempt to marginalize anything which doesn't support their view.

Just like the leftists trivialize human rights violations and terrorism because to do otherwise wouldn't support their socialist views.