"TWINBLUE"  wrote in message
news:bpoals$2crc$1{at}darwin.ediacara.org...
> >I am not a biologist and have a question: Would there be fewer
> >roadkills at some point in the future? What I mean is that animals
> >have some tendencies that gets them confused and killed by uncoming
> >vehicles. Presumably, the genes that have these tendencies would be
> >killed off and mutations cause a future generation of for example
> >squirrels to get killed less frequently on the road. If so, how long
> >would it take for any change to happen?
> Actually you are correct. This will happen.
> However the time frame is a difficult question. Some species may be
quicker
> than others to accommodate human presence. And they may progress (?)
> different features at different rates. For example whitetail deer are so
tame
> as to be just damn pests in many areas of the country but they show no
> sign of staying out from in front of cars. If the human species lasts long
> enough as a large population nearly every animal larger than rodents
> will either adapt to human presence or become extinct. This may
> take a really long time on a human scale.  TWINBLUE

Just a comment...  TwinBlue's initial points ("Actually you are correct.
This will happen.") seems an oversimplification or perhaps even wrong, in
view of his latter obserservation ("adapt to human presence or become
extinct"), which I would personally think is more on the mark

I would guess that as vehicles and associated traffic increase around the
world, roadkill will increase significantly, and only (or mainly) through:
- related human initiative (fences, animal overpassees/underpasses), and
- reduced animal populations, rather than evolutionary forces,

will this decrease or otherwise significantly change.  My guess is that
vehicular change is so profound that the animal population and associated
genetics will be "unable" to cope through the normal forces of evolution.
But, like the initial poster (Brendan), I am not a biologist and concede
that TwinBlue's answer is at least possible.  FWIW.  Regards, Brett.
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