Earth In Its Sixth Phase Of Mass Extinction, Courtesy to Humans

A new study claims Earth is already in its sixth mass extinction phase, perpetuated by humans. Without rapid intervention, humanity faces extinction.

Similar studies in the past were criticized for overestimating the rate of extinction and playing up the role of climate change. Such studies usually involve comparing the measured rate of extinction, with background extinction rate, obtained from data pertaining to previous five mass extinction events. For the present study, researchers assumed a background extinction rate of two mammal extinctions per 10,000 species per 100 years. This rate is twice higher than previous background rates.

When calculated, researchers learnt that it would have taken about 800 to 10,000 years for the number of species which disappeared in the last century alone, to disappear if the background rare persisted. Around 400 species disappeared since 1900. The actual rate is 114 times higher than the background rate. Researchers say their findings are conservative as the background rate has been estimated higher than before.

"The evidence is incontrovertible that recent extinction rates are unprecedented in human history and highly unusual in Earth's history. Our analysis emphasizes that our global society has started to destroy species of other organisms at an accelerating rate, initiating a mass extinction episode unparalleled for 65 million years," the study's authors wrote in the journal Science Advances.

The scientists warned that in as little as three human lifetimes several biodiversity benefits will be lost.

"Avoiding a true sixth mass extinction will require rapid, greatly intensified efforts to conserve already threatened species and to alleviate pressures on their populations-notably habitat loss, overexploitation for economic gain, and climate change. All of these are related to human population size and growth, which increases consumption (especially among the rich), and economic inequity. However, the window of opportunity is rapidly closing," they wrote.