New technologies key to averting massive wave of extinctions
Monday, June 2, 2014 - 06:00
in Paleontology & Archaeology
The Earth's biosphere is undergoing a wave of extinctions on par with the ending of the age of dinosaurs. The massive loss of biodiversity is primarily due to human activity, specifically the expansion and intensification of human land use, and further extinctions are imminent without immediate action, according to a new global assessment by a multidisciplinary, international team of scientists. The findings are a benchmark and a warning, as well as a call to action for scientists and the public to conserve what is left of Earth's biodiversity, say the researchers, whose analysis is published in the May 30 issue of the journal Science.