Species and Extinction

• Species


  A group of organisms that can reproduce naturally with one another and create fertile offspring
• Endangered Species


  Any species in danger of becoming extinct over all or most of its natural range
• According to International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), there are roughly 3% of described species and identified 16,928 species worldwide as being threatened with extinction
• Natural Causes of Extinction


  • Asteroids/Cosmic Radiation
  • Diseases and Parasitism
  • Climate Heating and Cooling
  • Changes in Sea Level or Current
  • Acid Rain
  • Spread of Invasive Species
• Asteroids/Cosmic Radiation


  • Cosmic radiation can mutate genes, which can potentially weaken a species' gene pool in the future
• Climate Heating and Cooling


  • Biodiversity can't keep up to the rapid changes in temperature and climate
• Invasive Species


  Spread of invasive species can cause extinction of native species
• Anthropogenic Causes of Extinction


  • Habitat destruction
  • Over population
  • Pollution
  • Introduction of Alien Species
• Habitat Destruction

  • Considered as the primary cause of species extinction
• Human Population Growth

  Leads to habitat destruction and other anthropogenic causes of extinction
• Pollution

  Causes species extinction through various mechanisms