Extinction in Biology and Ecology: A Problem that Keeps Getting Worse

Extinction is the cessation of existence of a species or group of organisms, reducing biodiversity. The death of the last individual of that species is generally considered to be the moment of extinction. Since a species’ potential range may be quite large, determining this moment is difficult. In biology and ecology species become extinct when they are no longer able to survive in changing conditions or compete against superior competition.

A coalition of leading conservation groups, called a report “the most comprehensive evaluation ever undertaken of the status of the world’s biodiversity.” That was in response to a report in 2004 by the World Conservation Union. it was based on current extinction rates being at least 100 to 1,000 times higher than natural rates found in the fossil record, the report stated. Fossil records are often used to determine when some species became extinct.

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