Findings published in the scientific journal National Science Academy Papers (PNAS) showed that the mortality rate of species has been accelerating in recent years.
According to a new study published in the magazine, the 6th mass extinction is not a future risk, it is happening right now. Scientists emphasize that mass extinction is happening faster than expected, and that this is human error. People who have already erased hundreds of species from the earth have brought more than this to the brink of extinction through wildlife trade, pollution, loss of habitat and the use of toxic substances.
Gerardo Ceballos Gonzalez, a professor of ecology from the National Autonomous University of Mexico and the author of the published study, said that about 173 species were extinct between 2001 and 2014. Gonzalez and his team stated that more than 400 vertebrate species have disappeared in the last 100 years, and in the course of normal evolution this extinction will take 10 thousand years. In the history of the world, 5 mass extinctions occurred, each destroying between 70 and 95 percent of plant, animal and microorganism species.
In the last incident that took place 66 million years ago, dinosaurs were wiped out of the earth, causing massive volcanic eruptions or destructive environmental changes, such as meteorites.
“This is our fault,” said Gonzalez, who made statements to CNN.
Extinctions bring extinctions
González and his colleagues said that most of the species that are on the verge of extinction are concentrated in human-affected areas. Moreover, the disappearance of one species affects everyone in the ecosystem and leads to extinction of other species. However, this situation also affects the life of the human species. According to the researchers, the current corona virus crisis showed how the destruction of humans towards nature can backfire. If the prohibitions it brings to the wildlife trade are really enforced, it can protect many species on the verge of extinction.
Who is Gerardo Ceballos? Universidad Nacional Autonoma is an ecologist and protector known for his theoretical and empirical studies on Animal Ecology and Conservation in Mexico.
