Today’s extinction rates are sky-high. But scientists debate if that’s sufficient evidence to conclude that Earth is undergoing a mass extinction event—or whether that’s even a helpful designation.
From fish harvests to cottonwood forests, organisms display evidence that species change can occur on timescales that can influence ecological processes.
A. Marmaduke Kilpatrick | Dec 1, 2014 | 10+ min read
Bat populations ravaged; hundreds of amphibian species driven to extinction; diverse groups of birds threatened. Taking risks will be necessary to control deadly wildlife pathogens.
Neanderthal extinction; eradicating polio; virus takes down massive algal bloom; receptor behind the hummingbird’s sweet tooth; legal threat for PubPeer; price tag of scientific fraud
Many species of birds and other vertebrates form pair bonds and mate with just one other individual for much of their lives. But the unions don’t always work out. Scientists want to know the underlying factors.