Germany, a country with a rich history and diverse landscapes, is characterized by impressive biocultural diversity. From the dense forests of the low mountain ranges to the expansive coastlines of the north, Germany offers a wide range of ecosystems and habitats. The flora is diverse, encompassing a wealth of plant species, including deciduous and coniferous trees in the forests, as well as typical German flowers like the Edelweiss in the Alps. The fauna is also abundant, with a variety of bird species in the forests and wetlands, as well as mammals such as deer, wild boar, and foxes. German culture is closely connected to nature, and the protection and preservation of biocultural diversity play an important role in the country's environmental and conservation movements. Despite urban development and environmental pressures, conserving this diversity remains crucial for Germany's future and the well-being of its residents.
Barramunda / Australian lungfish (Neoceratodus forsteri) in the Frankfurt Zoological Garden.
There are 6 species of lungfish in the world, of which the Australian is the most primitive. The lungfish morphology has hardly changed in the last 100 million years and therefore, like the closely related coelacanths, are considered living fossils.
Genetic studies, as well as the skull structure, the arrangement and shape of the fins, the approach of separation of oxygen-rich blood from the lungs and oxygen-poor blood from the body, suggest a close relationship to the tetrapods, to which we also belong.
Netherless, the lungfish aren't considered our ancestors, but are closely related to them.
Mata mata! 😄🐢 A nocturnal freshwater turtle that is found mainly in the Amazon and Orinoco basins. There it prefers shallow waters, where it remains motionless until a fish comes close. Only small fish are eaten by creating a vacuum that sucks the prey into its mouth. The fish is swallowed whole, the structure of the mouth makes it impossible to chew.
The Sumatran tiger is the only surviving tiger population in the Sunda Islands, where the Bali and Javan tigers already extinct. The species is listed as "Critical Endangered" on the Red List. Zoos like the Frankfurt Zoological Garden try to breed them. The success is very important for the preservation. Since 2017, there is a new male. But he doesn't harmonize with the female. Therefore, it's necessary to exchange with other zoos to preserve this rare animal.
We also had an electronic typewriter, but I liked that more! I wrote a lot of science fiction. If I remember correctly, I was sitting at Spaceship3000 (about a spaceship that stranded millions of years in the past). I enjoyed reading my older brother's Perry Rhodan books, which was very inspiring. Back then, there were only three snowy tv channels and the computer was an old C64. I only knew the internet from television reports. The cell phone was the phone booth at the bus stop. There was nothing bad about that.
