How does the rate of extinction compare to the rate of species formation on Earth today?
1 Answer
Oct 18, 2017
The rate of extinction is currently higher than that of species formation.
Explanation:
As of right now, the science community agrees that Earth is losing far more species per year than are being formed. Approximately 50,000 species are being lost each year. This extinction rate is high enough that many scientists consider the Earth to currently being going through the sixth mass extinction, It is the first mass extinction to be caused by humans rather than natural circumstances. The human causes are laid out in the acronym HIPCO:
H - Habitat Loss
I - Invasive Species
P - Pollution
C - Climate Change
O - Overharvesting/Overexploitation
