The current rate of extinction may be as much as ________ times greater than the natural rate of extinction.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The current rate of extinction is estimated to be 100 times greater than the natural rate of extinction, meaning that species are becoming extinct at a rate of 1,000 to 10,000 times the background extinction rate that has been observed for most of the evolutionary history of life on Earth. This rapid increase in extinction rates is largely due to human activities, such as habitat destruction, over-harvesting, pollution, and climate change.

The Current Rate of Extinction May Be as Much as ________