extinction event Archives - Science HeathenScience Heathen

Mass Die-Offs Amongst Birds, Fishes, & Other Marine Animals, Are Increasing In Frequency, Research Finds

Mass mortality events (mass die-offs) are increasing in frequency of occurrence — with regard to fishes, birds, and many other marine animals — according to new research from UC Berkeley’s Department of Environmental Science, Policy and Management; the University of San Diego; and Yale University.

The findings are the result of a comprehensive analysis of 727 mass die-offs — of around 2,500 different animal species — that occurred over the past 70-years. According to the findings of this analysis — die-offs amongst bird, fish, and marine invertebrate species, have been increasing in frequency notably over these last 7-decades.

Read the rest of this entry →

Extinction, Mass Extinctions, Extinct Species, And The Ongoing 6th Great Mass Extinction

March 7, 2013 in Animals & Insects, Fossils, Humans, Plants

Extinction is the process by which a species, genus, or family, becomes extinct — no longer existing and living in the world. It is the abolition and annihilation of something that previously existed in the world. In the case of biology, it refers specifically to the end of an evolutionary line, or a branch on the tree of life.

The actual moment of extinction is considered to be when the last individual representative of a species or group is no longer living. But functional extinction can occur considerably earlier than that — as the result of loss of genetic diversity, range, and/or the ability for a population to breed and recover.

Most types of life, especially animals, are closely tied to their ecological niches and environments. With a loss of their living environment, and its accompanying species, extinction is almost inevitable for many types of life. Species diversification and emergence typically doesn’t occur in these circumstances, it usually happens within healthy ecosystems. The long-period of time that follows large extinction events when no new species emerge is referred to as a dead zone .

Read the rest of this entry →

Tags: 6th extinction event, 6th great mass extinction event, Aiolornis incredibilis, Anthropocene mass extinction, bee extinct, bison latifrons, Camelops, causes of extinction, civilization extinction, climate change extinctions, deforestation extinct animals, deforestation extinction, dire wolf, effects of extinction, Elasmotherium extinction, End Cretaceous mass extinction, end-Permian mass extinction, endangered animals, extinct animals, extinct megafauna animals, extinct plants, extinct species, Extinction, extinction event, giant armadillo, giant kangaroo, Holocene mass extinction, Homotherium, human extinction, Irish Elk, IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, keystone species, Macoun's Shining Moss, mass extinctions, megafauna mass extinction, Megalania, Meiolania, Miracinonyx, Moa, Oncorhynchus rastrosus, Ornimegalonyx, over-fishing extinctions, over-hunting extinction, Panthera leo atrox, saber tooth salmon, saber-toothed cats, Sivatherium, sixth great mass extinction event, Smilodon extinction, Stellar's Sea Cow, Tasmania thylacine, Tasmanian tiger, the American cheetah, the American lion, the Haast's eagle, Thylacine extinct, Tyrant Sea Bear, unicorn extinction, Wonambi
2 Comments »