Earth’s 6th mass extinction gaining rapid momentum, experts warn

Almayadeen reports that a new study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) has provided further evidence that the planet is currently experiencing its sixth mass extinction event, and according to the article, this event is rapidly gaining momentum.

The research emphasizes that animal species are vanishing at a rate 35 times faster than the typical historical rate observed over the past million years.

Researchers underscore the significant role played by humans in driving this phenomenon, emphasizing that the number of animal species lost in the last 500 years would have taken approximately 18,000 years to go extinct without human influence.

Gerardo Ceballos, the study’s principal investigator, noted that the crops that are vital for human consumption, the balance of atmospheric gases supporting life on the planet, and the essential compounds used in medicines all share dependencies on various aspects of plant and animal life.

Losing entire branches of genera, as Ceballos emphasized, equates to a loss in the planet’s capacity to sustain life in a broad sense, with particular implications for human survival.