Extinction
Extinction is the permanent disappearance of a species, a natural process throughout Earth's history that has significantly accelerated in recent centuries due to human activity.
Occurring throughout the planet's entire history through five documented mass extinction events, this natural process has accelerated so dramatically in recent centuries that many scientists now describe a sixth extinction currently underway.
Five Historic Mass Extinctions
Earth has experienced five documented mass extinction events throughout its history, the most famous being the event that eliminated the dinosaurs approximately 66 million years ago.
A Natural Background Process
Extinction occurs naturally as a background process throughout Earth's history, as species fail to adapt to changing environmental conditions or are outcompeted by other organisms.
A Potential Sixth Mass Extinction
Many scientists argue that current extinction rates, driven substantially by human activity including habitat destruction and climate change, may constitute an ongoing sixth mass extinction event.
Conservation Efforts to Prevent Extinction
Extensive international conservation efforts, including protected habitats and captive breeding programs, aim to prevent the extinction of numerous currently threatened and endangered species worldwide.
