Researchers: The Sixth Mass Extinction in Earth's History Is Upon Us

Species are disappearing at an alarming rate, study finds

In a new study in the journal Science Advances, a team of researchers show that we are now on the verge of yet another mass extinction, the sixth in our planet's history. 

What this means is that species are vanishing at an alarming rate and that Earth's biodiversity is about to plummet. Some might think that this is of no concern to us. Surely the human race is advanced enough to make it through.

The thing is that this is not the case. On the contrary, specialists warn that, with ecosystems collapsing on a global scale, there is no way we humans will escape unscathed.

“If it is allowed to continue, life would take many millions of years to recover, and our species itself would likely disappear early on,” said scientist Gerardo Ceballos of the Universidad Autónoma de México in a statement.

This chart shows the enormous uptick in species loss over the last century. Since 1500, more than 320 terrestrial vertebrates have become extinct.

THE FIVE GREAT EXTINCTION EVENTS

Five times, a vast majority of the world's life has been snuffed out in what have been called mass extinctions, often associated with giant meteor strikes.

End-Ordovician mass extinction
The first of the traditional big five extinction events, around 440 million years ago, was probably the second most severe. Virtually all life was in the sea at the time and around 85% of these species vanished.

Late Devonian mass extinction

About 375-359 million years ago, major environmental changes caused a drawn-out extinction event that wiped out major fish groups and stopped new coral reefs forming for 100 million years.

End-Permian mass extinction (the Great Dying)
The largest extinction event and the one that affected the Earth’s ecology most profoundly took place 252 million years ago. As much as 97% of species that leave a fossil record disappeared forever.

End-Triassic mass extinction
Dinosaurs first appeared in the Early Triassic, but large amphibians and mammal-like reptiles were the dominant land animals. The rapid mass extinction that occurred 201 million years ago changed that.

End-Cretaceous mass extinction

An asteroid slammed down on Earth 66 million years ago, and is often blamed for ending the reign of the dinosaurs.

This one is on us

Admittedly, species go extinct all the time. During a mass extinction event, however, this happens at a freakishly rapid pace, specialists explain in the journal Science Advances.

Having looked at the current global extinction rate, researchers found it to be up to 100 times greater than what is considered normal. Thus, our planet is losing its biodiversity at a rate unparalleled since the demise of the dinosaurs over 60 million years ago.

“The investigation shows without any significant doubt that we are now entering the sixth great mass extinction event,” said Stanford University study co-author Paul Ehrlich.

Unlike the mass extinction that wiped out dinosaurs, however, this latest one that is now upon us is not nature-made, so to speak. Rather, it is the result of man-made climate change and global warming, environmental pollution, and massive deforestation.

Plainly put, we have nobody but ourselves to blame for the staggering biodiversity loss happening in this day and age. Not exactly something to take pride in, is it?

There is still some hope

It might be that our planet is now on the verge of one more mass extinction, but on a somewhat lighter note, it appears that there is still some hope that this could be avoided.

Thus, researchers say that this event can be prevented if we get our act together and start taking better care of the planet. Limiting climate change and global warming, greening up our ways, and safeguarding natural ecosystems are key to avoiding another mass extinction that could be the end of us.

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