Interesting CNN article on mass extinctions

[beowabbit]

Here’s an interesting CNN article on British data suggesting that the mass-extinction event that humans started about 50,000 years ago (which wiped out lots of large mammals, for instance) is continuing. Unsurprising, but it's neat to see actual data about current effects. Thanks to my mother for forwarding the link.

Comments

[plymouth.livejournal.com]

hmm. interesting. so if it started 50,000 years ago then it's not really all about our technology and our pollution and returning to a 'simpler way of life' is unlikely to do more than slow the process - it won't reverse it. We really are, like Agent Smith said, a disease!

[beowabbit]

Yeah, the extinction of the large land animals was due to overhunting.

(And the reason there are still so many in Africa is presumed to be that that's where humans evolved, so the land animals had a chance to evolve alongside them to avoid being slaughtered. By the time humans spread onto other continents, they were already good hunters, and the land animals there had no chance to adapt before they were extinct.)