Question: We are currently living in the sixth wave of extinction. Discuss.
Answer: It is believed by the majority of scientists that we are now currently living in the sixth wave of extinction. Extinction waves have been known to occur since some 440 million years ago. Five major waves in history have been known to mankind but few are aware that we now live in the sixth.
In the first wave of extinction, about 440 million years ago, twenty-five percent of all families of marine life were lost because they could not adapt to the severe change of global cooling that was presumed to have occurred during that period of time (Niles Eldredge, 2001). Making things worse, one family can possibly consist of a few to thousands of species (Niles Eldredge, 2001)....(short extract)
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- Subject: Biological Sciences
- Course: Biology
- Level: Degree
- Year: 2nd/3rd
- Mark: Not available
- Words: 1686
- Date submitted: March 12, 2009
- Date written: Not available
- References: Yes
- Document type: Essay*
- Essay ID: 960
