Human arrival 'wiped out' Hawaii's unique crabs (BBC)

[eppur_se_muova]

By Richard Black
Environment correspondent, BBC News

Land crabs unique to Hawaii, as big as a human fist and able to travel huge distances inland, were wiped out by the first human colonists around 1,000 years ago, scientists have deduced.

Fossils have been found at altitudes of 1,000m (3,000ft) - unusual for a crab.

Writing in the journal PLoS One, researchers say they identified the species by comparing it with living relatives on other Pacific islands.

Early settlers brought animals such as pigs and rats - wiping the crabs out.

The researchers describe this as the first documented extinction of a crab in the human era.
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more: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-13415890

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

1. Who'd the crabs wipe out?

Always a valid question.

[FBaggins]

2. Something akin to yama-gani I take it? n/t