Loxigenius

 <--Modern animal (African elephant) Extinct animal (woolly mammoth) --> Loxigenius  All of the woolly mammoths are extinct because of the climate change and the African elephant is likely to become endangered unless the conditions threatening its survival and reproduction improve. Known as the ‘Loxigenius’ in Latin meaning ‘half mammoth half elephant’ is the surviving animal, ‘superstes bestia’. This animal doesn’t have any of the features that caused the woolly mammoth to become extinct and the African elephant to become endangered.  **Habitat** In 1000 years global warming will occur. The loxigenius live in Africa and the temperature is a very hot. They live in forests, there are a lot of trees, plants, grass and shrub that it can eat through out its life. The Loxigenius uses its strong trunk to move away the unnecessary branches and trees to get to the food. It pick the food up with its trunk and, like a modern African elephant, places it in its mouth and eats it. The Loxigenius do not have any predators. The only animals that live near them are harmless lizards, bugs and insects. The only competition they have are the other Loxigenius' for mating a female. The polar cap would have melted which causes the sea level to rise. There is less land mass above the sea level due to the level rise. The average temperature has risen by 3-5*C.

 Loxodonta africana mammuthus primigenius
 * Scientific classification**
 * Kingdom:** Animalia
 * Phylum:** Chordata
 * Class:** Mammalia
 * Order:** Proboscidea
 * Family:** Elephantidae
 * Genus:**† Mammuthus
 * Species:**

 **T** **HE ADAPTIONS** 

__ **Physiological adaption one - cold blooded/ warm blooded** __ The loxigenius changes between cold blooded and warm blooded to they can adapt to the warmer and changing climates. During the colder seasons, winter, the animal changes to warm blooded so it can warm itself so it does not get too cold. It only takes the loxigenius to change the blood type in a few weeks. When it realises that the seasons are changing, it goes to sleep and the inside of the body reacts to the temperature change and the slower heart beat and changes the blood type. This does not affect the animal, as it has been adapted to it over time. In the warm seasons the same cycle happens, the loxigenius goes to sleep and the body reacts to the change in temperature and the slower heart beat so it changes the blood type to cold. The inside of the loxigenius changes the blood type and temperature so the whole body, inside and out can be comfortable with the weather and the temperature.

__**Physiological two - sweat glands** __ The loxigenius has developed sweat glands to cool its self down during the very hot weather. When an animal sweats it cools their body down to help it survive in the hot conditions. When the molecules of the water changes to gas, they slowly float of and away from the body. When the sweat evaporates, it changes to a gas and also it takes a small amount of heat with it. The more the loxigenius sweats, the cooler their body feels. This helps the animal cool its self down quicker. It has evolved because the temperature has risen.

 __**Structural one - no fur**__ The loxigenius has no fur on its body. The average change has made the animal lose its fur so it does not have the extra warmth, it does not need. The hair, fur and layer of fat on the woolly mammoth were used so it adapted to the freezing cold temperatures during the ice age. But the loxigenius has other adaption’s that helps it survive during the colder seasons. the environment pressured the animal in having no for at the temperature rose. It helps it survive in the warm climate temperature because it does not have the unnecessary warmth in the hot weather. **Structural two - large ears** The Loxigenius has very, very **large ears** that release heat to cool the body down. The ears are much bigger than the African elephant's ears. When the loxigenius is walking around looking for food, it flaps its ear and the veins in the ears release the heat to the surrounding air while the air circulates around the ear. the environmental pressure that gave rise to this adaption is the temperature rise. The elephant needs a cool body to live peacefully. It helped the animal survive by using the ears to release heat which cools down the loxigenius' body **Structural three - filter** <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">As the icecaps have melted in the sea, the sea level has rises and the average temperature has increased by 3-5*C, the water in lakes and rivers have evaporated so the availability to fresh water is limited. Humans have hairs in their noses to let air go through but filter out the dust. The loxigenius has an embedded **filter** in its trunk so it can change the salted seawater into fresh water they can drink. There is a membrane, filter, half way up the loxigenius’ trunk, when the loxigenius drinks the sea salt eater. The salt mixes in with the loxigenius’ saliva which neutralises it, then the filter gets rid of the extra particles and salt that did not neutralise. After this process, the loxigenius can drink the filtered out water.

<span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">**Structural four - legs/feet** <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">The loxigenius has very long legs which are able to release more heat, to cool the body down faster due to the cl  <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">imate rise. There is more surface area that can release heat to cool the body down. The Loxigenous is the opposite to the woolly mammoth because the woolly mammoths legs are short to keep heat in the body as the temperature is much below freezing, The Loxigenius has long legs to release the heat to cool the body down.

<span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">**Selection pressure - extinction** <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">Just like one of the reasons how the woolly mammoth was extinct, because of temperature change, in the future future, the Loxigenius will be extinct because oftemperature change. the temperature will drop to negative 20*C, close to an ice age. The Loxigenius will not have the adaptions needed to survive during an ice age. the Loxigenius would need, just like the woolly mammoth, long fur short legs, small ears to keep as warm as possible, tusks to dig up grasses and small plants and the DNA genetic mutation that allows them to physically survive in the freezing cold. <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">**Bibliography**
 * 1) Elephants Evolve Smaller Tusks Due to Poaching. (n.d.). //Popular | Environmental Graffiti//. Retrieved June 21, 2011, from http://www.environmentalgraffiti.com/ecology/elephants-evolve-smaller-tusks-due-to-poaching/711
 * 2) Suite101. (n.d.). Wooly Mammoth Facts â€“ Mammuthus primigenius | Suite101.com. //Suite101.com: Online Magazine and Writers' Network//. Retrieved June 22, 2011, from http://www.suite101.com/content/wooly-mammoth-facts--mammuthus-primigenius-a256026
 * 3) habitat. (n.d.). //habitat//. Retrieved June 19, 2011, from http://www.bio.davidson.edu/people/vecase/behavior/Spring2004/Bossie/Habitat%20and%20Food.htm

4. Google Image Result for http://www.globalwarmingart.com/images/a/ae/Global_Warming_Predictions_Map.jpg. (n.d.). //Google//. Retrieved June 27, 2011, from http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.globalwarmingart.com/images/a/ae/Global_Warming_Predictions_Map.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.globalwarmingart.com/wiki/File:Global_Warming_Predictions_Map_jpg&h=408&w=559&sz=91&tbnid=2OtGLS-vUvbinM:&tbnh=97&tbnw=