New Research, at Odds with 2023 Study, Argues We’re Not Witnessing a Sixth Mass Extinction Event

Are we really entering a sixth mass extinction?

Humans have wiped out more than 100 species — with many more on the brink or experiencing large declines in population.Some scientists have argued that we have entered a "sixth mass extinction" event akin to the one that wiped out dinosaurs 66 million years ago. But this time the culprit is biological annihilation caused by humans rather than a city-size asteroid.A new study published Thursday in the journal PLOS Biology argues, however, that wh…

A sixth mass extinction is not looming, study argues. But there’s still cause for concern

The planet is seeing a decline in biodiversity, but extinctions are relatively rare and don’t meet the threshold for a sixth mass extinction, a new study argues.