16  Why save endangered species?  For the general public, endangered

species appear to be little more than biological oddities.  A very dif-

ferent perception is gained from considering the issue of extinction in a

wider context.  The important point is that many major social advances

have been made on the basis of life forms whose worth would never have

been perceived in advance.  Consider the impact of rubber-producing

plants on contemporary life and industry:  approximately  two-thirds of the

world’s rubber supply comes from rubber-producing plants and is made

into objects as diverse as rubber washers and rubber boots.

Any of the following facts could be used as illustrative examples in addi-

tion to the example of rubber-producing plants EXCEPT:

      The discovery of the vaccine for smallpox resulted from observing

        the effect of the cowpox virus on the hands of dairy workers. 

      The major source of our pharmaceutical supplies is plants, some of

        them commonly thought of as weeds. 

      Certain antibiotics were originally derived from mold growing on

        cantaloupes. 

      Plastic is a unique product derived from petroleum and petroleum by-

        products. 

      Hamsters and other rodents have played an important role in labo-

        rator y tests of medicine for use on humans.