Ongoing mass extinction of species

“He who refuses to learn deserves extinction.”

-Rabbi Hillel

Holocene extinction

The Holocene is a geological epoch which began approximately 11700 years ago.

In ecology, a species-area curve is a relationship between the area of a habitat, or of part of a habitat, and the number of species found within that area.

The prehistoric extinction events

The Pleistocene is the epoch from 2.588 million to 12 000 years BP covering the world's recent period of repeated glaciations.

And the extinction continued

New ZealandC. CE 1500, several species became extinct after Polynesian settlers arrived, including:• Ten species of Moa, giant flightless ratite

birds.• The giant Haast's Eagle, Harpagornis • The flightless predatory Adzebills

Pacific, including Hawaii•The Moa-nalos, giant grazing ducks from Hawaii.•The Nēnē-nui, or Woodwalking Goose, an extinct species of goose that once inhabited Maui.•Mekosuchine crocodiles from New Caledonia, Fiji and Samoa.

Madagascar•Eight or more species of elephant birds, giant flightless ratites in the genera Aepyornis and Mullerornis.•17 of 50 species of lemur, including: • Giant aye-aye (Daubentonia robusta)• sloth lemurs, including chimpanzee-sized Palaeopropithecus

and gorilla-sized Archaeoindris

•Two species of Malagasy Hippopotamus

• Megaladapis, an orangutan-sized arboreal lemur

Human influence on extinctionExtinction of animals and plants caused by

human actions may go as far back as the late Pleistocene. Extinctions that are due to human activity, particularly hypothesized future events, have also been labelled the anthropocene extinction event or anthropocene mass extinction.

189 countries which are signatory to the Rio Accord have committed to preparing a Biodiversity Action Plan, a first step at identifying specific endangered species and habitats, country by country.The Convention on Biological Diversity

(CBD), known informally as the Biodiversity Convention, is an international legally binding treaty that was adopted in Rio de Janeiro in June 1992.1. conservation of biological diversity (or

biodiversity);2. sustainable use of its components; and3. fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising

from genetic resources