Are we close to experiencing the sixth mass extinction? That’s what science says

I wrote in Sciences he 5/31/2023 7:56 PM

We are talking about a mass extinction It might sound like something out of science fiction. Unfortunately, access to a sextant endangering human and wildlife survival is a latent possibility that has only worsened over time, but above all due to omissions and actions on the part of the people who inhabit it. Land. But will we ever be really close to living that The sixth mass extinction? the Sciences reveals that it could be.

Before going into detail about how this event happened, we’ll explain What is mass extinction. It is defined as a brief period of geological time in which a high percentage of the biodiversity and species living on our planet are extinguished at a given time. And although it is said to be a short period, it can range from a few years to millions of them.

About 65 million years ago Land Fifth experienced mass extinction, which wiped out the dinosaurs, as well as much of the plants that existed at that time. And despite the fact that millions of years have passed from that moment to now, this does not mean that we are far from living The sixth mass extinction.

According to experts, this new period, which predicts drastic and dangerous changes on Earth, will expose dozens of species of plants and animals to severe danger, as well as human life and survival.

What caused the sixth mass extinction and what consequences might it bring?

A study recently published in the journal Biological Reviews reports that 48% of the species populations of mammals, amphibians, birds, reptiles, fish and insects are decreasing significantly, while only 3% of the total is increasing.

Now, what causes this new mass extinctionAccording to the same study, it indicates that humans are responsible for the greatest decline on Earth year after year and that many species are now on the verge of complete and irreparable disappearance.

The way humans harm the environment occurs by destroying wild landscapes to build homes, buildings, roads, and cities. But also climate change, which is caused by people, is also a determining factor The sixth mass extinction It happens much faster and more radically, causing irreparable damage.

The way the scientists came to this conclusion was thanks to the analysis of more than 70,000 species from all over the world, thus determining whether their populations have bred more, whether the specimens have declined or if they have been preserved over time.

Then, they conclude that 48% of the analyzed species are declining significantly and only 3% of the total analyzed have increased the number of specimens, numbers that do not predict anything encouraging or positive about this new species. mass extinction.

According to the study, published Monday in the journal Biological Reviews, 48% of these species are decreasing and less than 3% are increasing.

For several years, the United Nations has classified the species with the aim of keeping a record showing the remaining species and the number of copies there are for each, which is responsible for the International Union for Conservation of Nature. Using this data, the scientists found that 28% of species fall into the “threatened” category. extinction“.

How will you see the The sixth mass extinction It is something that can happen sooner than expected and where a human being is involved.

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