Earth Entering Sixth Extinction Phase, Species Disappearing 100 Times Faster

[iSK]

Earth Entering Sixth Extinction Phase, Species Disappearing 100 Times Faster: Study

Miami: The world is embarking on its sixth
mass extinction with animals disappearing
about 100 times faster than they used to,
scientists warned Friday, and humans could
be among the first victims.

Not since the age of the dinosaurs ended 66
million years ago has the planet been losing
species at this rapid a rate, said a study led
by experts at Stanford University, Princeton
University and the University of California,
Berkeley.

The study "shows without any significant
doubt that we are now entering the sixth
great mass extinction event," said co-author
Paul Ehrlich, a Stanford University professor
of biology.

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[iSK]

World witnessing 6th mass extinction, species disappearing 100 times faster: Study

The researchers have warned that humans could be among the species lost as a result of the current mass extinction event.

“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 lead author Gerardo Ceballos from the Universidad Autonoma de Mexico.

There is general agreement among scientists that extinction rates have reached unparalleled levels since the dinosaurs died out 66 million years ago.

However, some have challenged the theory, believing earlier estimates rested on assumptions that overestimated the crisis.

Using fossil records and extinction counts from a range of records, the researchers compared a highly conservative estimate of current extinctions with a normal “background” rate estimate twice as high as those widely used in previous analyses.

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[Rahulan Raj]

Looks like irreversible process