animal extinction  

- what is extinction  
- overview of mass extinction events 
- current extinction event 
- case study → species overview  
 
The extinction of a particular animal or plant species occurs when there are no more 
individuals of that species alive anywhere in the world meaning that the species has died 
out. This is a natural part of evolution. But sometimes extinctions happen at a much faster 
rate than usual. This can happen due to different environmental factors, evolutionary 
problems or by human causes (destruction of habitat, hunting etc.)  
 
Human impacts are one of the biggest causes of animal extinction. Scientists theorised 
that it is possible that species extinction is happening a thousand times faster than the 
natural extinction rate due to humans. 
 
Over history, there have been 5 different mass extinction events. The first one on record 
named Ordovician-Siuruan extinction. This extinction event happened 440 million years 
ago and is thought to be because of a glaciation event and a heating event. Carbon dioxide 
was removed from the air caused global cooling and glacier formation. Later came global 
warming and sea level rising again. 86% of life was lost. The second mass extinction event 
was called the late Devonian extinction that happened 365 million years ago. During this 
period about 75% of life was lost. 252 million years ago, the third mass extinction event 
happened to cause 96% of animal life on earth was lost. This extinction was due to volcanic 
activity in Siberia creating a highly toxic environment for life. The fourth extinction event 
called the Triassic - Jurassic extinction event happening 201.3 million years ago was caused 
also due to volcanic eruptions which trapped heat in the atmosphere and acidified the 
earth’s oceans. Another theory for this extinction was that an asteroid or comet impacted 
the earth and triggered the extinction. This extinction caused 80% of life loss. The second 
last mass extinction to date was the Cretaceous- Paleogene extinction happening 66 
million years ago. This extinction whipped out the dinosaurs along with 60-76% of all life on 
earth. This is widely thought to have been due to an asteroid. The Holocene extinction 
event happening from 11,700 years ago to the present is due to human impact onto the 
earths animals and their habitat. It is thought that the current extinction rate is at least a 
thousand times the average rate of extinction.  
 
The current mass extinction event is hypothesised to be as a result of human activity. The 
Holocene extinction event started from 11,700 years ago and is still going on today. 
Scientists have uncovered that the current rate of extinction is at least a thousand times 
greater than the natural baseline rate of extinction.  
 
The Japanese Honshu wolf lived in the Japanese islands of Shikoku, Kyushu and Honshu. 
This wolf was part of the lupus family and was the smallest species. This wolf became 
extinct due to an introduction of rabies into this wolf population in 1732.