Experts estimate that human activities cause the extinction of hundreds of speci

Question

Experts estimate that human activities cause the extinction of hundreds of species every year. In contrast, the natural rate of extinction is thought to average only a few species per year. If human actions continue to alter the global environment, especially by destroying tropical rain forests and changing Earth’s climate, the likely result will be a wave of extinctions that could rival those at the end of the Cretaceous period. Considering that life has endured five mass extinctions, should we be concerned that we may cause a sixth mass extinction? How would such an extinction differ from previous extinctions? What might be some of the consequences? Experts estimate that human activities cause the extinction of hundreds of species every year. In contrast, the natural rate of extinction is thought to average only a few species per year. If human actions continue to alter the global environment, especially by destroying tropical rain forests and changing Earth’s climate, the likely result will be a wave of extinctions that could rival those at the end of the Cretaceous period. Considering that life has endured five mass extinctions, should we be concerned that we may cause a sixth mass extinction? How would such an extinction differ from previous extinctions? What might be some of the consequences?

Explanation / Answer

Indeed human activities are making the environment of earth highly polluted and inhabitable in nature, the extinction of human race seems very unlikely event even under scenario. Life, including human race has experienced many mass extinctions previously but if another takes place again, it is extremely likely that the life would survive it. Life, including human race, has undergone extremely high extent of adaptation as well as acclimatization to the present environment that even if maximum of hte individuals are deceased, the rest of the population will tend to survive easily as the number of resources wll increase.

However, the living organisms might suffer from some difficulties as well while trying to survive this extinction. Any further catastrophic activity might be devastating for re-survival of life as will be fighting for the same set of resources present in the environment and the fittest organisms only would be able to survive. Under such condition, the genetic pool will be reduced in quality as well as quantity and hence the quantitative rate of evolution would decrease.

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