Extinction Quote by Elizabeth Kolbert
““In ordinary times—times here understood to mean whole geologic epochs—extinction takes place only very rarely, more rarely even than speciation, and it occurs at what’s known as the background extinction rate. This rate varies from one group of organisms to another; often it’s expressed in terms of extinctions per million species-years. Calculating the background extinction rate is a laborious task that entails combing through whole databases’ worth of fossils. For what’s probably the best-studied group, which is mammals, it’s been reckoned to be roughly .25 million species-years. This means that, since there are about fifty-five hundred mammal species wandering around today, at the background extinction rate you’d expect—once again very roughly—one species to disappear every seven hundred years.””
About This Quote
Source Book: The Sixth Extinction by Elizabeth Kolbert, 2014
Background extinction is a slow, natural process where species disappear rarely, about one mammal every seven hundred years.
In simple terms: Species fade slowly over time.
Key Takeaway
Recognize natural loss and act to protect biodiversity.
Themes
extinction
environment
science
Mood
concerned
urgent
Type
scientific
educational
When to use this quote
- conservation policy
- education
- research
- public awareness
Key Concepts
background rate
species loss
geology
Questions to Reflect On
- What actions can reduce accelerated extinction?
- How does understanding rates affect policy?
A Different Perspective
Human impact can accelerate rates beyond natural background.
![“Now they [the Powers] have started the aggression, and the extinction of our nation is imminent. If we just fold our arms and yield to them, I would have no face to see our ancestors after death. If we must perish, why not fight to the death?” quote by Empress Dowager Cixi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/947/empress-dowager-cixi-68177_after-death_now-they-the-powers-have-started-the-agg_53275.jpg)
