The world is no stranger to stories of species extinction, from the haunting tales of the passenger pigeon, the Tasmanian tiger, to the tragic loss of the Baiji, the Yangtze river dolphin. These poignant stories capture the dire consequences of human activities leading to the sixth mass extinction. However, a recent study conducted by Stanford University and the National Autonomous University of Mexico sheds light on a more profound crisis – the extinction of entire genera, a “mutilation of the tree of life.” In biology, “genera” (plural of “genus”) is a taxonomic rank used in the classification of living organisms. It is a level above species and below family in the hierarchy of biological classification. Genera are groups of closely related species that share a common ancestor and have similar characteristics.
In this groundbreaking study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, researchers Gerardo Ceballos and Paul R. Ehrlich reveal that it’s not just individual species facing extinction but entire genera. The study examined 5,400 genera of land-dwelling vertebrate animals, comprising 34,600 species. Shockingly, 73 genera of land-dwelling vertebrates have gone extinct since 1500 AD, with birds bearing the heaviest losses.
The most alarming revelation is the rate at which vertebrate genera are disappearing. The current rate of vertebrate genus extinction exceeds the natural rate by a staggering 35 times. In just five centuries, human actions have triggered a surge of genus extinctions that would typically take 18,000 years to accumulate. This grim scenario is aptly termed a “biological annihilation.”
Genera extinctions carry more significant implications than species extinctions. When a species disappears, other species within its genus often adapt to fill its ecological role. These surviving species also preserve much of the extinct species’ genetic material and evolutionary potential. However, when entire genera vanish, it creates a void in the evolutionary tree that takes tens of millions of years to regenerate.
The loss of biodiversity due to genus extinctions can have immediate and far-reaching consequences for ecosystems and humanity. For example, the disappearance of one genus can lead to the proliferation of certain species, potentially causing imbalances like the increase in Lyme disease cases.
Genera extinctions also mean a loss of invaluable knowledge. Species like the gastric brooding frog, now extinct, could have provided insights into human diseases such as acid reflux. The intersection between biodiversity loss and the climate crisis further compounds these challenges.
To prevent further extinctions and the resulting societal crises, Ceballos and Ehrlich call for unprecedented political, economic, and social action. They stress the importance of increased conservation efforts in tropical regions, which face the highest concentration of genus extinctions. Public awareness, especially regarding the interplay between the extinction and climate crises, is also crucial.
The study’s findings serve as a stark reminder of the urgent need for global action to protect biodiversity. Addressing the sixth mass extinction extends beyond preserving individual species; it requires safeguarding entire branches of the tree of life. Humanity must act swiftly and decisively to prevent a “mutilation of the tree of life” and the far-reaching consequences it entails. The survival of our planet’s rich tapestry of life is at stake, and with it, our own well-being.
