Students in previous Quests have made real discoveries and changed the direction of scientific research. In this preview week, we will pose a general question about science in Africa. Send us your theory. Expert's Ideas East Africa is truly the last place where you can see huge herds of large mammals roaming the plains. The answer is that there were, but they are all gone.
Most ecologists think that hunting was the cause, Anthropologists think climate change did it.
In any case, Africa is really a last example of what grasslands worldwide once looked like. This very question is currently being hotly debated. Some scientists think the growth of savannas depend mostly on the type of soil present. Other scientists favor more complicated reasons for savanna growth, reasons that involve fires and grazing animals. These two factors actually keep bushes from growing and act to maintain the savanna ecosystem.