The Holocene extinction, otherwise referred to as the sixth mass extinction or Anthropocene extinction, is an ongoing, man-made extinction. Though previous extinctions were the result of natural causes, this extinction is mostly brought on by human activity. Thought to have began during the early pleistocene, the extinction is said to not currently be as severe now as it will be in the future, at which point it will rival the permian-triassic mass extinction in severity. Some of its most notable victims (extinct and extant) include (but are not limited to) mammoths, mastodons, elephants, baleen whales, giraffes, saber tooth cats, big cats, ground sloths, and pandas. It has been stated by scientists that 1 million+ species are threatened with extinction by humanity.
Among the animal groups predicted to suffer heavy loss are amphibians, sharks, insects, and cephalopods (among others). Groups like these are critical for biodiversity, and with their extinction comes the collapse of ecosystems. This extinction is considered villainy because it is being caused by humans.
Causes of the extinction:
- Hunting
- Overhunting
- Overfishing
- Poaching
- Animal Trafficking
- Climate Change/Global Warming
- Deforestation/Habitat Destruction
- Defaunation