may have the ability to provide power- ful pain relief that does not lead to a drug becoming less effective with chronic use, as is the case with opiates. Though scientists so far have not


assessed the conservation status of cone snails, these mollusks face the threat of extinction due to worldwide collapse of coral reefs and degradation of mangrove wetlands—their two pri- mary habitats. Sharks: Sharks are among the most


endangered of the world’s ocean fish. Themain threat remains overharvest- ing, with some 75 million sharks caught each year. In the last 8 to 15 years, populations of virtually all the world’s 400-odd species have declined by more than 50 percent. Scientists, meanwhile, are investi-


STRUGGLING WITH global warming and other threats, polar bears (left) contain in their bile substances that show promise for treating several disorders. Amphibians such as the strawberry poison dart frog (above) produce a vast array of chemicals with medical potential. Yet amphibians are one of the most endangered groups of animals on Earth.


such as smallpox, rabies and polio. Pri- mates are also pivotal to studies aimed at preventing or curing AIDS, hepatitis, malaria and other widespread diseases aswell as counteringnewthreats suchas Ebola andMarburg disease. In addition, primates are helping scientists under- standmany of the brain and behavioral disorders that apes share with humans—Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s diseases being two examples. As no one primate species is a good


model for all human disorders, future research advances may hinge on main- taining a diversity of apes, monkeys, and lemurs in the wild. Yet along with amphibians, primates rank as the most endangered of allmajor animal groups. Worse,most primatologists believe that without drastic action, a great wave of primate extinctions is near. Cone snails: Long prized by shell


collectors captivated with their diver- sity of forms, cone snails are even


more prolific in their manufacture of biologically active chemicals. Of the 700 species currently known, each is thought to produce 100 to 200 differ- ent toxins. Cone snails inject these venoms into prey and would-be pred- ators using tiny, barbed harpoons. “This chemical-making ability


dwarfs the number of alkaloids, such as morphine and caffeine, made by all known plants,” Chivian notes. Cone- snail toxins are particularly interesting to researchers because of their ability to bind to cell surfaces in ways that initiate a variety of activities within the cell. Some of the most promising


CELEBRATE DIVERSITY The United Nations has declared 2010 the International Year of


Biodiversity. To learn more, go to www.cbd.int/2010/welcome.


gating the shark steroid squalamine, which like frog toxinsmay have prom- ise as a potent new antibiotic. Others are studying squalamine as a potential treatment for macular degeneration, a leading cause of blindness. Squalamine even appears to have appetite-sup- pressing powers—of great interest in countries such as the United States where obesity has become an epidemic health problem. And immunologists study sharks for their remarkable, dis- ease-fighting immune systems—the most ancient among the so-called higher animals. Beyond individual animals like


sharks, biodiversity delivers many health services that humankind has long taken for granted, from cleaning our air and water to mitigating floods and moderating climate. Habitat dis- ruption and associated extinctions can cripple these services in ways only now becoming clear. “At the same time,” says Chivian, “we know that the more diverse a habitat, themore likely that it will prove stable and resilient to change.” That resilience will only become more crucial, he adds, as global warming begins transforming our planet in ways we can only imagine.


New Jersey-based writer JESSICA SNYDER SACHS wrote about discoveries


of new populations of imperiled plants in the April/May issue.


AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2010 | WWW.NWF.ORG | 29 |


HOWARD RUBY; ABOVE, MICHAEL AND PATRICIA FOGDEN


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