Extinction Rates Have Slowed
Extinction rates have slowed across many plant and animal groups, a new study shows.
New research revealed that the patterns and causes of past extinctions differ from current and future threats. Many studies have suggested that the planet is currently experiencing a mass extinction, supported by evidence from the past 500 years.
‘We show that extinction rates are not getting faster towards the present, as many people claim, but instead peaked many decades ago,’ said Wiens.
Researchers found that extinction rates in plants, arthropods, and land vertebrates appear to have peaked around 100 years ago and have declined since then. Past extinctions were mostly caused by invasive species on islands, rather than by today’s most significant threat to wildlife — the destruction of natural habitats.
Author's summary: Extinction rates slowed down across many species.