Post by account_disabled on Mar 13, 2024 10:53:45 GMT 1
What are the causes of a mass extinction? Man or nature itself? Who causes an extinction? How is it generated? We will explain to you.
To know what a mass extinction is, we must first know the meaning of extinction. The extinction of an animal species occurs when the last individual member of that species dies.
Although a species may be "extinct in the wild," the species is not considered extinct until every individual, regardless of location, captivity, or ability to reproduce, has perished.
Causes of a mass extinction, man or nature?
Most species became extinct due to natural causes. In some cases, predators became more powerful and abundant than the animals they preyed on; In other cases, severe climate change made prev Caseno Email List iously hospitable territory uninhabitable.
What is true is that old species disappear while new species evolve to fit ecological niches that are constantly changing.
However, some species, such as the passenger pigeon, became extinct due to human-caused habitat loss and overhunting. Human-caused environmental problems are also creating serious challenges for a number of now endangered or threatened species.
Causas de una extinción Masiva
Mass extinction in ancient times
Endangered Species International estimates that % of the animals that once existed on Earth became extinct due to catastrophic events that occurred as the Earth was evolving. When such events cause animals to die, it is called a mass extinction. The Earth has experienced five mass extinctions due to natural cataclysmic events:
Causas de una extinción Masiva
The Ordovician Mass Extinction occurred about million years ago during the Paleozoic Era and was likely the result of continental drift and a subsequent two-phase climate change. The first part of this climate change was an ice age that eliminated species unable to adapt to frigid temperatures. The second cataclysmic event occurred when the ice melted, flooding the oceans with water that lacked sufficient amounts of oxygen to support life. It is estimated that % of all species perished.
The Devonian mass extinction that occurred about million years ago has been attributed to several potential factors: decreased oxygen levels in the oceans, rapid cooling of air temperatures, and possibly volcanic eruptions and/or meteor strikes. Whatever the cause or causes, almost % of all species, terrestrial and aquatic, were exterminated.
The Permian Mass Extinction , also known as "The Great Dying," occurred about million years ago and resulted in the extinction of % of the planet's species. Possible causes have been attributed to climate change, asteroid impacts, volcanic eruptions and the subsequent rapid development of microbial life that flourished in methane/basalt-rich environments caused by the release of gases and other elements into the atmosphere as a result of those volcanic activities and/or asteroid impacts.
The Triassic-Jurassic Mass Extinction took place about million years ago. With the death of around % of the species, it was probably the culmination of a series of smaller extinction events that occurred over the course of the last million years of the Triassic period during the Mesozoic Era. Possible causes cited are volcanic activity along with resulting flood basalt, global climate change, and changes in pH and sea level in the oceans.
The KT mass extinction took place about million years ago and resulted in the extinction of approximately % of all species. This extinction has been attributed to extreme weather activity that resulted in a phenomenon known as "impact winter" that dramatically altered the Earth's climate.
The man-made mass extinction crisis
"WHAT ABOUT LIFE IF A MAN CANNOT HEAR THE CRY OF A NIGHTJAR OR THE ARGUMENTS OF FROGS AROUND A POND AT NIGHT?" – CHIEF SEATTLE,
Although mass extinctions are lethal phenomena, they make way for the emergence of new forms of life. And although previous mass extinctions occurred long before recorded history, some scientists believe a mass extinction is occurring right now. Biologists who believe the Earth is suffering a sixth mass extinction of both flora and fauna are sounding the alarm.
To know what a mass extinction is, we must first know the meaning of extinction. The extinction of an animal species occurs when the last individual member of that species dies.
Although a species may be "extinct in the wild," the species is not considered extinct until every individual, regardless of location, captivity, or ability to reproduce, has perished.
Causes of a mass extinction, man or nature?
Most species became extinct due to natural causes. In some cases, predators became more powerful and abundant than the animals they preyed on; In other cases, severe climate change made prev Caseno Email List iously hospitable territory uninhabitable.
What is true is that old species disappear while new species evolve to fit ecological niches that are constantly changing.
However, some species, such as the passenger pigeon, became extinct due to human-caused habitat loss and overhunting. Human-caused environmental problems are also creating serious challenges for a number of now endangered or threatened species.
Causas de una extinción Masiva
Mass extinction in ancient times
Endangered Species International estimates that % of the animals that once existed on Earth became extinct due to catastrophic events that occurred as the Earth was evolving. When such events cause animals to die, it is called a mass extinction. The Earth has experienced five mass extinctions due to natural cataclysmic events:
Causas de una extinción Masiva
The Ordovician Mass Extinction occurred about million years ago during the Paleozoic Era and was likely the result of continental drift and a subsequent two-phase climate change. The first part of this climate change was an ice age that eliminated species unable to adapt to frigid temperatures. The second cataclysmic event occurred when the ice melted, flooding the oceans with water that lacked sufficient amounts of oxygen to support life. It is estimated that % of all species perished.
The Devonian mass extinction that occurred about million years ago has been attributed to several potential factors: decreased oxygen levels in the oceans, rapid cooling of air temperatures, and possibly volcanic eruptions and/or meteor strikes. Whatever the cause or causes, almost % of all species, terrestrial and aquatic, were exterminated.
The Permian Mass Extinction , also known as "The Great Dying," occurred about million years ago and resulted in the extinction of % of the planet's species. Possible causes have been attributed to climate change, asteroid impacts, volcanic eruptions and the subsequent rapid development of microbial life that flourished in methane/basalt-rich environments caused by the release of gases and other elements into the atmosphere as a result of those volcanic activities and/or asteroid impacts.
The Triassic-Jurassic Mass Extinction took place about million years ago. With the death of around % of the species, it was probably the culmination of a series of smaller extinction events that occurred over the course of the last million years of the Triassic period during the Mesozoic Era. Possible causes cited are volcanic activity along with resulting flood basalt, global climate change, and changes in pH and sea level in the oceans.
The KT mass extinction took place about million years ago and resulted in the extinction of approximately % of all species. This extinction has been attributed to extreme weather activity that resulted in a phenomenon known as "impact winter" that dramatically altered the Earth's climate.
The man-made mass extinction crisis
"WHAT ABOUT LIFE IF A MAN CANNOT HEAR THE CRY OF A NIGHTJAR OR THE ARGUMENTS OF FROGS AROUND A POND AT NIGHT?" – CHIEF SEATTLE,
Although mass extinctions are lethal phenomena, they make way for the emergence of new forms of life. And although previous mass extinctions occurred long before recorded history, some scientists believe a mass extinction is occurring right now. Biologists who believe the Earth is suffering a sixth mass extinction of both flora and fauna are sounding the alarm.