![]() Cuvier described extinction as being a slow, gradual, and random process that could likely not be seen within a human lifetime. Kolbert starts her book by describing extinction β a concept first described in the early 19 th century by Georges Cuvier, who proposed that there are species that were alive thousands of years ago but are no longer alive today. For reference, the last extinction took place at the end of the Cretaceous period 66 million years ago, following the impact of an asteroid into what is now known as Chicxulub in Mexico, and resulted in the elimination of the dinosaurs. ![]() ![]() She uses this evidence to conclude that humanity is on the verge of eliminating 20-50% of all living species on earth within this century, thereby causing a sixth mass-extinction. In eloquent prose, she notes the direct impact of civilization on the environment, deriving examples from biodiverse regions such as the Great Barrier Reef, the Amazon rainforest, and the Andes. In her book βThe Sixth Extinction: An Unnatural History,β Elizabeth Kolbert, a science writer for The New Yorker, studies the relationship between human beings and the environment. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |