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Mike,
I'm thinking the white possums ended up mixing with warmer southern darker possums. (Or would it be mixing with warmer northern possums down under?) That would mean they are still there, not extinct, but indistinct. I don't know if we can regulate this sort of nooky thing. It would be like believing we could force people with freckles to only mate with other freckled people to preserve the pigmentation. Or, if not freckles, stretch marks. Freckle Police, Stretch Division.
Also, it is harder to recognize white possums on blacktop because they look like former white rabbits after the first couple of treadmarks. So I think they don't get entirely counted as white possums by federal wildlife agents flying over highways in Piper Cubs. And if there was snow on the road, they likely wouldn't even get counted as rabbits. Invisible.
Then there is that, "99% of the species that ever lived are now extinct", principle. I think it's a billion year natural law or something. If another 1% of the possums think it's time to go, maybe we should just obey. Their quota may be low.
And, finally, uneaten white possums may have quickly evolved a different color to match their new snowless surroundings. We just can't fault them for rapidly evolving, can we? See paragraph 1 on how to evolve.
Well, I guess that's what you were saying. But if white possums taste better, then it would be a loss.
Wes
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