Sixth Mass Extinction Benton Analysis

The sixth mass extinction event is just within spitting distance! Scientists have evidences to support this point by comparing the present conditions to the previous five mass extinction events and with the extinction rates. According to the dictionary, mass extinction is defined as the extinction event of a large number of species within a relatively short period of geological time, thought to be due to factors such as a catastrophic global event or widespread environmental change that occurs too rapidly for most species to adapt. With the current high extinction rates, the sixth mass extinction is expected. Such event is mainly due to human impact. With the current situation, the sixth mass extinction might be similar to the end-Permian extinction …show more content…
According to the author, extinction is a normal part of evolution. Species appear and disappear continually for various kinds of reasons; such as a lake drying up. On the other hand, mass extinction is the loss of 40 to 50 percent of species including animals and plants from land, air, and water. Moreover, the author also describes that six to seven mass extinctions have occurred in the past 600 million years. Among these, two major mass extinctions are notable. The first major extinction Benton describes is the end-Permian extinction. Although the cause of the end-Permian extinction is still unknown, Benton claims that the most probable cause is the volcanic eruption that occurred 251 million years ago in Siberia known as the Siberian trap. The second major extinction the author discusses is the event that occurred about 66 million years ago known as the Cretaceous-Tertiary …show more content…
“Mass Extinctions” tells us that “[the] study of mass extinctions, and comparisons with the modern world, show that we are almost certainly responsible for another mass extinction” (Benton). In addition, in “The Race to Halt the Sixth Extinction”, Corwin states that although there may be many causes for the die-offs, “it all points back to us”. Moreover, In “We must Escape Earth,” Stephen Hawking said that the main concern for this looming mass extinction is global warming and nuclear war. All in all, the three articles come to consensus that humans are causing the sixth mass

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