When for some reason (usually natural) large-scale extinction of different species of animals occurs in nature, it is called mass extinction. According to research, 99 percent of the species that have migrated around the world to date have become extinct. Almost all of these extinctions have taken place during various extinctions. There have been 5 mass extinctions in history - Ordovician, Devonian, Permian, Triassic and Cretaceous. The first mass extinction occurred approximately 440 million years ago, the last being 75 million years ago. With the exception of the Triassic, the other four mass extinctions wiped out more than 60 percent of the animals that existed at the time. These mass extinctions have occurred mainly due to various natural causes; Such as meteors, volcanoes, extreme weather or sea level rise. But mankind alone is responsible for the 6th mass extinction that scientists fear, which is believed to be happening now!
In a word, it would not be an exaggeration to say that the contribution of mankind is at the root of the problem. The world's human population is now rapidly surpassing 650 crore. Maybe not too long to go beyond 8/900 crore. And the first problem that arises with this huge number of people is the housing problem. People are constantly destroying the natural ecosystem for their habitat, destroying the natural animal sanctuaries to produce extra food. Excessive animal and bird hunting, or overfishing, industrialization, chemical pollution, moving animals from one region to another, what are people left to do? One by one, such human activities are wiping out all the diverse creatures from the earth.
The World Wildlife Fund paints a grim picture of how much the animal kingdom has been damaged by human aggression. A 2014 study by the organization revealed a sad fact - in the last 40 years alone, the world's wildlife has declined by 50 percent. The study also found that the number of vertebrates in nature has declined by an average of 70 percent since the 1970s. According to a survey on America alone, 90 percent of king butterflies and 7 percent of bumblebees have disappeared from America in the last 20 years alone. The presence of our favorite tuna in the Pacific Ocean has dropped by 95 percent. These are not mere statistics. All of these are connected and indicate a journey to a specific destination. And that is the 6th mass extinction.
First of all, scientists have not been able to determine exactly how many species of animals there are on Earth. The number is estimated at between 9 million and 1 trillion. However, only a very small fraction of this estimated number has been identified so far. So far, scientists have identified about 70,000 species of vertebrates. Of these, 337 species have become extinct in the last 40 years. The number stands at 617, when the probable extinction is calculated. Most recently, some significant vertebrates have become extinct, and scientists have tried hard to prevent their extinction. The last member of the Brazilian Blue Tia, Speaks Macau and the northern white rhino species left the earth in late 2016.
Similarly, invertebrates are becoming extinct. 99 percent of the world's animals are invertebrates. Of the 1.2 million species that scientists have identified, 40 percent are already extinct. Of these extinct animals, only 1,500 species of terrestrial snails are present, proving just how aggressive humans have become on land. In this case, the risk of waterlogging has been much less. In the last 2/300 years, only 15 species of aquatic animals have become extinct. However, the idea of possible extinction is much more. On the other hand, aquatic animals have been relatively safe for so long but now it is no longer possible. Due to the massive amount of plastic pollution and chemicals, more than 600 species of aquatic species could be extinct in this century!
Those who are on the verge of extinction
This is about extinct animals. We should be more concerned with animals that are not yet extinct but are on the verge of extinction. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) says about 26,500 species are on the verge of extinction. These include 40 percent of amphibians, 33 percent of naturally formed coral reefs, 25 percent of mammals, and 14 percent of bird species. Have you ever wondered how much global biodiversity will be affected if so many species of animals die soon?
There are currently only 6,000 leopards in the world.The number is also steadily declining. Since 1993, the number of African lions has decreased by about 70 percent. The Amur Leopard, which once roamed southeastern Russia and China, now has only 100 survivors! They are going to be wiped out very quickly due to excess prey. In the case of insects, the rate of extinction is even more alarming. Every year 2.5 percent of the total insects are lost from the world. One-third of the world's identified insects are on the verge of extinction! Will people survive on earth alone?
Can it be called mass extinction?
If we read the history of the previous mass extinctions, we can know that in just a few hundred years, 70/80 percent of the living species would have become extinct from the earth. In that case, at the current rate of extinction of animals from the world, there is no way to call it a period of mass extinction. Scientists estimate that in the next few hundred years, 75 percent of the world's animals will be extinct! Life has existed on Earth for over 400 billion years. In the last 450 million years alone, there have been five major extinctions. The history of the mass extinctions caused by natural causes is now studied by people in universities, higher studies and regrets for the lost biodiversity. While people are unknowingly causing mass extinction for the 6th time in the world, it is the responsibility of mankind alone.
Innumerable creatures will be born in nature and they will leave the earth according to the laws of nature, this is normal. Although there was no human contribution, various species of animals were regularly extinct on earth. But the rate of extinction affected by humans is much higher than the rate of extinction of nature. In the next 500 years alone, half of all vertebrates have been wiped off the face of the earth. Analyzing data from the 19th century to the last 200 years, scientists estimate that the rate of extinction of various species on Earth today is 100-10,000 times higher than the normal rate of natural geography! If extinction continues at this rate, there is no doubt that the world's ecosystems will soon become productive. The extinction of a very insignificant species of nature cannot be desirable, because its extinction has a huge impact on the food chain. As a result, the extinction of animals on a large scale will completely break down the various food chains on which human beings are also directly dependent.
When one animal in the food chain becomes extinct, the whole food chain collapses.About 25 percent of marine life is found in coral reefs in different parts of the world. Sadly, about 50 percent of the world's coral reefs have already been destroyed. Scientists estimate that the remaining 50 percent could be destroyed by 2050. And there is no need to explain how the marine ecosystems will be severely damaged if the coral reef is destroyed. One might even think that even if these animals are destroyed, there is no problem, people will survive by eating grains! Then there is scary news for them. Because the grains and fruits that people eat also depend on insects for natural pollination.
Many extinct animals can be brought back to the de-extinction process.Insects also belong to one or another food chain, which is being harmed by the extinction of other animals. As a result, insects are rapidly becoming extinct. In fact, their extinction rate is the highest! On the other hand, the idea of bringing back extinct animals with the help of DNA technology called 'de-extinction' is also far-fetched. Scientists say it will take at least another decade for the technology to arrive. In addition, it is thought that it will not be successful in most animals. All in all, the 6th mass extinction is going on in the world for the welfare of the people and this extinction can be the cause of the extinction of mankind till the end! Will the omnipotent human race be moved even after all the data and samples of immediate problems are in front of our eyes?
No, i don't it's happening. It might happen but it would still take centuries