What is the difference between background extinction and mass extinction?
A)background extinction is continuous and low-level; mass extinction occurs during a relatively short period of time and involves large numbers of species
B)background extinction is indiscriminate; mass extinction targets particular species
C)background extinction may be due to a human induced catastrophic event; mass extinction is a natural biological process
D)background extinction has occurred 5-6 times throughout Earth's history; mass extinctions have occurred hundreds of times
E)background extinction is a synonym for mass extinction

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Background extinction refers to the standard rate of extinction in earth's geological and biological history before humans became a primary contributor to extinctions. It is a slow, continuous process affecting few species at a time. Mass extinction, on the other hand, is characterized by a rapid loss of a large number of species over a relatively short geological period, often due to catastrophic events or major environmental changes.

What Is the Difference Between Background Extinction and Mass Extinction