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Has the Earth’s sixth mass extinction already arrived?

Author

Listed:
  • Anthony D. Barnosky

    (University of California
    University of California Museum of Paleontology
    University of California Museum of Vertebrate Zoology)

  • Nicholas Matzke

    (University of California)

  • Susumu Tomiya

    (University of California
    University of California Museum of Paleontology
    University of California Museum of Vertebrate Zoology)

  • Guinevere O. U. Wogan

    (University of California
    University of California Museum of Vertebrate Zoology)

  • Brian Swartz

    (University of California
    University of California Museum of Paleontology)

  • Tiago B. Quental

    (University of California
    University of California Museum of Paleontology
    Present address: Departamento de Ecologia, Universidade de São Paulo (USP), São Paulo, Brazil)

  • Charles Marshall

    (University of California
    University of California Museum of Paleontology)

  • Jenny L. McGuire

    (University of California
    University of California Museum of Paleontology
    University of California Museum of Vertebrate Zoology
    Present address: National Evolutionary Synthesis Center, 2024 W. Main Street, Suite A200, Durham, North Carolina 27705, USA.)

  • Emily L. Lindsey

    (University of California
    University of California Museum of Paleontology)

  • Kaitlin C. Maguire

    (University of California
    University of California Museum of Paleontology)

  • Ben Mersey

    (University of California
    Human Evolution Research Center)

  • Elizabeth A. Ferrer

    (University of California
    University of California Museum of Paleontology)

Abstract

Mass extinctions: are we there yet? Palaeontologists recognize five major extinction events from the fossil record, with the most recent, the Cretaceous mass extinction, ending some 65 million years ago. Given the many species known to have disappeared in the past few thousand years, some biologists suggest that a sixth such event is now under way. Barnosky et al. set out to review the evidence for that claim, and conclude that the recent loss of species is dramatic and serious, but not yet in the mass extinction category — usually defined as a loss of at least 75% of Earth's species in a geologically short time frame. But that said, there are clear indications that the loss of species now classed as 'critically endangered' would soon propel the world into its sixth mass extinction.

Suggested Citation

  • Anthony D. Barnosky & Nicholas Matzke & Susumu Tomiya & Guinevere O. U. Wogan & Brian Swartz & Tiago B. Quental & Charles Marshall & Jenny L. McGuire & Emily L. Lindsey & Kaitlin C. Maguire & Ben Mers, 2011. "Has the Earth’s sixth mass extinction already arrived?," Nature, Nature, vol. 471(7336), pages 51-57, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:nature:v:471:y:2011:i:7336:d:10.1038_nature09678
    DOI: 10.1038/nature09678
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    Cited by:

    1. Chunrong Mi & Liang Ma & Mengyuan Yang & Xinhai Li & Shai Meiri & Uri Roll & Oleksandra Oskyrko & Daniel Pincheira-Donoso & Lilly P. Harvey & Daniel Jablonski & Barbod Safaei-Mahroo & Hanyeh Ghaffari , 2023. "Global Protected Areas as refuges for amphibians and reptiles under climate change," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-11, December.
    2. World Bank, 2021. "Banking on Protected Areas," World Bank Publications - Reports 35737, The World Bank Group.
    3. Ioannis P. Kokkoris & Konstantinos Kougioumoutzis & Ioannis Charalampopoulos & Ektor Apostolidis & Ilias Apostolidis & Arne Strid & Panayotis Dimopoulos, 2023. "Conservation Responsibility for Priority Habitats under Future Climate Conditions: A Case Study on Juniperus drupacea Forests in Greece," Land, MDPI, vol. 12(11), pages 1-17, October.
    4. Yacine, Youssef & Loeuille, Nicolas, 2022. "Stable coexistence in plant-pollinator-herbivore communities requires balanced mutualistic vs antagonistic interactions," Ecological Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 465(C).
    5. Naudé, Wim, 2023. "Melancholy Hues: The Futility of Green Growth and Degrowth, and the Inevitability of Societal Collapse," IZA Discussion Papers 16139, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    6. Onggarbek Alipbeki & Gauhar Mussaif & Chaimgul Alipbekova & Aizada Kapassova & Pavel Grossul & Meirzhan Aliyev & Nursultan Mineyev, 2023. "Untangling the Integral Impact of Land Use Change, Economic, Ecological and Social Factors on the Development of Burabay District (Kazakhstan) during the Period 1999–2021," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(9), pages 1-36, May.

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