{"page":"\u003clink rel=\"stylesheet\" href=\"https://lessonplanet.com/assets/packs/css/resources-572d6a42.css\" /\u003e\n\u003clink rel=\"stylesheet\" href=\"https://lessonplanet.com/assets/packs/css/lp_boclips_stylesheets-f4d0de30.css\" media=\"all\" /\u003e\n\u003cdiv data-title='Why rock rabbits might hold the key to climate change' data-url='/boclips/videos/5c54c4add8eafeecae16a798' data-video-url='/boclips/videos/5c54c4add8eafeecae16a798' id='bo_player_modal'\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='boclips-resource-page modal-dialog panel-container'\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='react-notifications-root'\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='rp-header'\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='rp-type'\u003e\n\u003ci aria-hidden='true' class='fai fa-regular fa-circle-play'\u003e\u003c/i\u003e\nVideo\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003ch1 class='rp-title' id='video-title'\u003e\nWhy rock rabbits might hold the key to climate change\n\u003c/h1\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='rp-actions'\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='mr-1'\u003e\n\u003ca class=\"btn btn-success\" data-posthog-event=\"Signup: LP Signup Activity\" data-posthog-location=\"body_link_boclips\" data-remote=\"true\" href=\"/subscription/new\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cspan\u003eGet Free Access\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"\"\u003e for 10 Days\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e!\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='rp-body'\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='rp-info'\u003e\n\u003cdiv aria-label='Hide resource details' class='rp-hide-info' role='button' tabindex='0'\u003e\u0026times;\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003ci aria-label='Expand resource details' class='rp-expand-info fai fa-solid fa-up-right-and-down-left-from-center' role='button' tabindex='0'\u003e\u003c/i\u003e\n\u003ci aria-label='Compress resource details' class='rp-compress-info fai fa-solid fa-down-left-and-up-right-to-center' role='button' tabindex='0'\u003e\u003c/i\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='rp-rating'\u003e\n\u003cspan class='resource-pool'\u003e\n\u003cspan class='pool-label'\u003ePublisher:\u003c/span\u003e\n\u003cspan class='pool-name'\u003e\n\u003cspan class='text'\u003e\u003ca data-publisher-id=\"30356011\" href=\"/search?publisher_ids%5B%5D=30356011\"\u003eCurated Video\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\n\u003c/span\u003e\n\u003c/span\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='rp-description'\u003e\n\u003cspan class='short-description'\u003eCape Town, South Africa - 31 July 20091. Wide tracking shot of the mountain2. Medium shot of researchers in cable car3. Mid shot of Dr Chase looking at rock hyrax4. Mid shot of rock hyrax on mountain ledge5. Over the shoulder shot Dr...\u003c/span\u003e\n\u003cspan class='full-description hide'\u003eCape Town, South Africa - 31 July 2009\u003cbr/\u003e1. Wide tracking shot of the mountain\u003cbr/\u003e2. Medium shot of researchers in cable car\u003cbr/\u003e3. Mid shot of Dr Chase looking at rock hyrax\u003cbr/\u003e4. Mid shot of rock hyrax on mountain ledge\u003cbr/\u003e5. Over the shoulder shot Dr Chase watching rock hyrax\u003cbr/\u003e6. Close-up shot of rock hyrax family\u003cbr/\u003e7. Close-up shot of rock hyrax\u003cbr/\u003e8. Close-up shot of researcher's face\u003cbr/\u003e9. Mid of hyrax family on rock\u003cbr/\u003e10. Mid shot of tourist taking photo\u003cbr/\u003e11. Medium panning shot of researchers walking through bushes\u003cbr/\u003e12. Various of researchers climbing over rocks\u003cbr/\u003e13. Wide shot of researchers scouting mountain\u003cbr/\u003e14. Low angle shot of researchers walking over rocks\u003cbr/\u003e15. Top angle medium shot of researchers\u003cbr/\u003e16. SOUNDBITE(English) Lynne Quick, Paleoclimatology student, University of Cape Town:\u003cbr/\u003e\"Some of these middens are really really old and this one will probably be about 30 to 40 thousand years old. We come across a lot that are say, 25 thousand years old. We still need to date this one but the chances are, it's going to be really old.\"\u003cbr/\u003e17. Mid shot of Dr Brian Chase reaching for middens \u003cbr/\u003e18. Close-up shot of hand grabbing midden\u003cbr/\u003e19. Mid shot of Dr Chase pulling out midden\u003cbr/\u003e20. Close-up shot of midden\u003cbr/\u003e21. Mid shot of researchers checking out midden\u003cbr/\u003e22. Mid shot of researchers putting midden in bag\u003cbr/\u003e23. Close-up shot of rock hyrax eating shrubs\u003cbr/\u003e24. Mid shot of researchers leaving midden site\u003cbr/\u003e25. Mid shot of researchers walking down bush\u003cbr/\u003e26. Wide shot of University building\u003cbr/\u003e27. Close-up shot of dung heap\u003cbr/\u003e28. Close-up shot of midden\u003cbr/\u003e29. Pan right from dung heap tracking to Dr Chase taking samples\u003cbr/\u003e30. Close-up shot of drilling\u003cbr/\u003e31. Close-up shot of midden sample\u003cbr/\u003e32. Mid shot of researchers drilling\u003cbr/\u003e33. Close-up shot of drilling\u003cbr/\u003e34. Mid tilt around shot of researchers drilling.\u003cbr/\u003e35. Close-up shot of researchers faces.\u003cbr/\u003e36. SOUNDBITE (English) Dr Brian Chase, Department of Environmental and Geographical Science, University of Cape Town:\u003cbr/\u003e\"The hyraxes, there is some evidence to suggest that they do use the same latrine preferentially. But these more often than not, are found under massive overhangs and in very protected areas. And the hyraxes are very scared animals, they are often eaten by pretty much everything, so they need to be high off the ground away from leopards and such but protected from eagles. And that's very conducive to the preservation of the middens because in fact if you rained on this, it will dissolve entirely.\"\u003cbr/\u003e37. Tilt down from Dr Chase opening bag of middens to close-up of middens\u003cbr/\u003e38. Close-up shot of finger pointing to extraction marks\u003cbr/\u003e39. SOUNDBITE (English) Dr Brian Chase, Department of Environmental and Geographical Science, University of Cape Town:\u003cbr/\u003e\"Well it's very interesting depending on where you are because we have middens from both Namibia and South Africa. These middens here go back about 30 thousand years and with the limits of radio carbon dating, we can't quite go back 60 but 50 is probably more or less oldest. We have that are 45 and they do show some substantial variation in vegetation and pollen and it's not so much 60 thousands years ago it was X. But because of the continuous deposition,you can actually get a picture of how those have changed. You can see how the climate changes through water availability and nitrogen isotopes. And then you can see how the vegetation has changed through pollen. So you can see the pollen dries out and the grasses start to go away in Namibia and you get more trees and then the succession of various vegetation types. So you can see how the landscape responds to climate and using the two proxies together you can get a very clear picture of what's going on.\"\u003cbr/\u003e40. Close-up shot of graph on computer\u003cbr/\u003e41. Mid shot of Dr Chase at computer\u003cbr/\u003eScientists across the world are pushing the boundaries of technology by using complex computer modules to try an predict future climate change patterns. \u003cbr/\u003eNow researchers from a Cape Town University, have found a novel way to help predict what the future might hold, by looking at the past.   \u003cbr/\u003eThe picturesque Western Cape mountain range at the southern tip of Africa lays claim to one of the world's most diverse floral kingdoms.\u003cbr/\u003eResearchers are scouring the mountains in search of the droppings and urine of a local inhabitant which could give a glimpse into future global climate change patterns.    \u003cbr/\u003eThe Rock Hyrax, also known as a Rock Rabbit or Dassie is a Hyracoidea and it superficially resembles a guinea pig with small ears and tail.    \u003cbr/\u003eHyraxes are very social animals and can be commonly found in large groups basking up the sun at the top of the mountain.  \u003cbr/\u003eThe furry little animal is actually the relative of the elephant.\u003cbr/\u003eIt is the Hyraceum, a type of fossilised excrement,that have got academics excited about it can help predict climate change.    \u003cbr/\u003eLynne Quick, a Paleoclimatology student says some of these dung heaps are over 40,000 years old.\u003cbr/\u003eLead researcher Brian Chase says that Hyrax dung heaps are especially useful since the animals have a habit of using the same latrine from one generation to the next.  \u003cbr/\u003eThe heaps usually consist of hair, excrement, dust, pollen and the dassie's characteristic highly concentrated urine.    \u003cbr/\u003eThe Dassie's middens are built up over thousands of years, creating a time capsule carrying vital information on the climate and vegetation of that period in time.    \u003cbr/\u003ePollen samples within the hyraceum can be taken and sent for radio carbon dating.    \u003cbr/\u003eHigh resolution stable carbon and nitrogen isotope records reveal that 20,000 years ago, the sea-level in the Western Cape was about 130m below what it is now, around the time when global ice sheets were at their maximum extent.    \u003cbr/\u003eBrian Chase says the vegetation found in the middens shows how the landscape responded to climate change.\u003cbr/\u003eSouthern Africa and other stretches of the continent were not only colder then, but also very dry.    \u003cbr/\u003eIn the Western Cape, however, the cold fronts that bring its winter rain were more frequent and the climate was correspondingly wetter.    \u003cbr/\u003eThe global climate, is about cycles and patterns, characterised by a series of lengthy ice ages (glacials) and shorter, warmer periods such as the current one (interglacials).    \u003cbr/\u003eEach cycle is said to last tens of thousands of years, the last ice age drawing to a close some 10, 000 or so years ago. \u003cbr/\u003eThere is common consensus among many academics that climate patterns are changing, and that it will lead to more extreme events, like droughts and floods.    \u003cbr/\u003eanimals\u003cbr/\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='action-container flex justify-between'\u003e\n\u003cbutton aria-expanded='false' aria-label='Read more description' class='rp-full-description' type='button'\u003e\n\u003ci class='fai fa-solid fa-align-left'\u003e\u003c/i\u003e\n\u003cspan id='read_more'\u003eRead More\u003c/span\u003e\n\u003c/button\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='rp-report'\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv aria-labelledby='resource-details-heading' class='rp-info-section'\u003e\n\u003ch2 class='title' id='resource-details-heading'\u003eResource Details\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='rp-resource-details clearfix'\u003e\n\u003cdiv class='detail'\u003e\n\u003cdl\u003e\n\u003cdt\u003eCurator Rating\u003c/dt\u003e\n\u003cdd\u003e\u003cspan class=\"star-rating\" aria-label=\"3.5 out of 5 stars\" role=\"img\"\u003e\u003ci class=\"fa-solid fa-star 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