Earth’s Sixth Mass Extinction: Is It Almost Here?
*Steep decline of many animal species warns that Earth is on the brink*
With the steep decline in populations of many animal species, scientists have warned that Earth is on the brink of a mass extinction like those that have occurred just five times during the past 540 million years.
Each of these “Big Five” saw three-quarters or more of all animal species go extinct.
In results of a study published in this week’s issue of journal Nature, researchers report on an assessment of where mammals and other species stand today in terms of possible extinction compared with the past 540 million years.
They find cause for hope–and alarm. (more…)