A new study of extinct species reveals that the sixth mass extinction event in Earth's history is underway. The researchers say, this extinction was almost entirely caused by humans, no longer meteors or natural disasters like in the past.
A team from the University of Hawai'i in Mānoa and the Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle in Paris, France found that when we factor in the snail species alone, our planet has lost up to 13% of all known species since 1500.
Specifically, their research reveals that 7.5% to 13% of the two million different living organisms that inhabit the planet are now extinct. Between 150,000 and 260,000 species on land, sea or air will no longer be discovered by 2022.
"The dramatic increase in species extinction rates and the decline in abundance of many animal and plant populations are well documented, but some deny that these phenomena are tantamount to mass extinctions," said the study's lead author, Robert Cowie, research professor at the UH Mānoa Pacific Biosciences Research Center, quoted from StudyFinds.org.
"This denial is based on a highly biased assessment of the crisis that focuses on mammals and birds and ignores invertebrates, which of course make up the vast majority of biodiversity."
"Including invertebrates is key to confirming that we are indeed witnessing the beginning of the Sixth Mass Extinction in Earth's history," Cowie added.
The study notes that these mass extinction events affected life on land at a different rate than in the oceans. On land, the team found island species are at a higher risk of extinction than on larger continents. Also, plants seem to be more resistant to extinction than animals.
Woe if you refuse to believe
Researchers believe that denying the fact that the Earth has already experienced a mass extinction event is as big a problem as denying climate change and science.
Moreover, the team claims that many people would accept this event as a natural course of planetary evolution and not seek to change it. To some, they view humans as just another species in Earth's history that has little ability to change the overall health of the planet. Is this true?
"Humans are the only species capable of manipulating the biosphere on a large scale. We are not just another species that evolves in the face of external influences. On the contrary, we are the only species that has a conscious choice about our future and Earth's biodiversity," he said. Cowie.
The study's authors note that conservation efforts have had some success and saved certain animals. Unfortunately, these efforts cannot save every species on Earth and the researchers believe it will not change the current trend of the sixth mass extinction.
Despite the uphill battle, researchers say it's still important to prevent the extinction of as many species as possible and document the planet's diversity before it disappears forever.
"Despite the rhetoric about the gravity of the crisis, and while remedial solutions exist and are of concern to decision-makers, it is clear that political will is lacking," Cowie concluded.
Denying a crisis, accepting it without reacting, or even pushing it is humanity's irresponsibility and paving the way for Earth to continue its pathetic trajectory towards the Sixth Mass Extinction, he concluded.