Question

How is the ‘Sixth Extinction’ presently in progress different from the previous episodes?

Answer 1

Part 1: Rate of sixth extinction
In Earth's history there has been five mass extinctions caused primarily by natural events but the ongoing present sixth extinction (Holocene extinction) is different in the following ways:-

• Anthropogenic cause- The main cause of the sixth extinction is due to human activities causing global warming and climate change. The last five extinctions were caused either by global glaciation, heating events or asteroid impact.
• Rate of process- This extinction is 100 to 1000 times faster than the last five extinctions and if it progresses in the following rate half of the world's species would be wiped out.