Alarm raised over the biggest 'mass extinction' since the time of the dinosaurs.

British scientists warn that Earth is nearing a mass extinction event, the first since the dinosaurs disappeared 66 million years ago.

Many animal species are facing extinction, largely due to human impacts - Photo: LIVE SCIENCE

Traces of the 'mass extinction'

A new study from the University of York (UK), led by ecologist Jack Hatfield, shows that the current rate of species extinction is "unprecedented in the last 66 million years".

He asserted: "We are witnessing a pace of change unprecedented in the planet's history, and humanity is the central driving force behind that process."

The York team's research is based on decades of data on environmental change, combined with discussions with paleontologists and ecologists.

By comparing fossil records with modern data, the team reconstructed the history of species extinction since the arrival of humans.

According to the analysis, the impact of humankind on biodiversity began around 130,000 years ago, coinciding with the disappearance of giant species such as mammoths and giant ground sloths.

As humans spread across the planet, the rate of extinction accelerated. By modern times, that list had grown longer to include the dodo, the Tasmanian tiger, and the Steller's manatee.

Hatfield stated in Newsweek : "The current rate of extinction is faster and on a larger scale than anything we know since the extinction of the dinosaurs."

Although we haven't reached the threshold of a mass extinction yet, if this trend continues, we will soon reach that point."

Throughout history, Earth has experienced five major extinction events. The dinosaur catastrophe 66 million years ago was just one of them, while the Permian "great extinction" occurred 252 million years ago, wiping out more than 80% of marine life and 70% of land species.

Hatfield and colleagues compared the current rate of biodiversity loss to the Eocene-Oligocene event, about 34 million years ago, when the global climate cooled and ice formed across Antarctica.

However, the difference is that this event took place over millions of years, while human impact has only lasted about 100,000 years but has left equivalent consequences.

Hatfield emphasized: "The Eocene-Oligocene events showed us the power of climate change to reshape life on the planet. Today, that is happening again, only this time the cause is human-induced."

There is still time for rescue and conservation efforts for endangered animal species - Photo: EARTH.ORG

It's not too late yet.

According to the Natural History Museum in London, a mass extinction occurs when more than 75% of species disappear in a period shorter than 2.8 million years.

Currently, Earth has not crossed that threshold, but scientists warn that we are at a "crossroads of survival".

In an interview with Newsweek , Hatfield stated: "This is a complex story, but the message is clear. That is, humanity has become a force shaping Earth's history. We still have the power to decide how this story ends."

He argued that although the "biological landscape is fading," there is still time to reverse the trend.

The York group's research is now expanding, aiming to better understand how past extinction events have reshaped ecosystems, thereby providing a deeper understanding of the consequences of our actions today.

Scientists at the University of York have concluded that humanity has entered the "Anthropocene," an era in which humans are the dominant force in natural processes.

Hatfield reiterated: "What happens next depends on how we choose to balance the development and survival of this planet."

Meanwhile, on Phys.org , a representative of the research team emphasized: "If we want to avoid repeating the scenarios of the past, we need to act now. Because the current rate of change far exceeds anything ever seen in the fossil record."

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HOANG THI

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/bao-dong-cuoc-dai-tuyet-chung-lon-nhat-tu-thoi-khung-long-20251024111809284.htm