New Delhi: The sixth mass extinction of species is underway thanks to factors like overpopulation and overconsumption, and there is little time left for effective action, a study claimed. Using a sample of 27,600 terrestrial vertebrate species and a more detailed analysis of 177 mammal species, the study shows “extremely high degree of population decay in vertebrates, even in common species of low concern”. “Population extinctions today are orders of magnitude more frequent than species extinctions. Population extinctions, however, are a prelude to species extinctions, so Earth’s sixth mass extinction episode has proceeded further than most assume... The sixth mass extinction is already here,” it said.

Source: Mint July 11, 2017 17:03 UTC