Scientists forecast mass extinction

Here’s a grabber of a headline from my web surfing today:

“Earth on track for epic die-off, scientists say” (read the whole story in the San Francisco Chronicle)

Scientists at U.C. Berkeley and Penn State say, according to fossil and archaeological records, earth is on track for its sixth mass extinction.

The study is looking at species over a very long period of time: starting approximately 13,000 years ago, when humans arrived in North America.

In that time, researchers say the continent has lost between 15 and 42 percent of its mammals. And they say this die off will continue and possibly equal or surpass the other five mass extinctions on the planet.

For a little perspective, the scientists say the least severe of these die offs was 68 million years ago. The one that wiped out the dinosaurs and about 75 percent of life on the planet.

One of the researchers told the Chronicle that climate change and the dramatic rise in human population could be contributing factors this time around.

That seems to be a recipe for extinction that we saw in the past, and we are seeing again.

Reactions to findings like this vary widely, of course. Some will be saddened. Others will say the scientists have an agenda and/or seek fame, money and power.

Before you comment, keep in mind, this is one study and it will be pored over, challenged and very possibly changed as new findings lead to a better understanding of how biological processes work–or stop working.

When studies like this come out, it’s a time for questions, not polemics. Some questions for us here in the North Country: could this study shed light on the dramatic bat die off due to White-Nose Syndrome? And, would knowing that humans or climate change are a factor help the affected species recover?

We’ll try to get answers. What other questions do you have?