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Extinction

Wednesday, August 21

Plant extinctions four times greater than on record: study

More than 500 species of plants have disappeared in the past 250 years – more than twice the number of birds, mammals and amphibians recorded as extinct, according to a new study.

Political silence as extinction crisis escalates

Australia has the highest rate of mammal extinction in the world and yet the crisis facing wildlife hasn’t registered in the election campaign. Zoos SA chief Elaine Bensted argues that urgent action can make a difference to threatened species, if politicians are willing to invest.

How many species of frog are in the picture? Genetics often says ‘more than we thought’. Michael Lee (Flinders University & South Australian Museum), CC BY-NC

Earth’s biodiversity could be much greater than we thought

After centuries of study, you’d think we’d have at least a rough idea of how many different species of life exist on Earth. This is becoming even more pressing as biodiversity disappears at an increasing pace due to human impacts. Some species are going extinct even before we discover them.

Extinction means more than a loss of species to Australia's delicate ecosystems

European settlement of Australia, and the exotic predators and herbivores they brought with them, caused rapid widespread biodiversity loss. As a result, for the past 200 years Australia has had the highest mammal extinction rate in the world.