Humans have driven more than 1,400 bird species to extinction

[gnabgib]

Referenced: "Undiscovered bird extinctions obscure the true magnitude of human-driven extinction waves" (Nature)[0]

[0]: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-023-43445-2

[pfannkuchen]

I still don’t understand why species count matters. All organisms share the same basic genetic drive. Species go extinct when environmental niches shift too rapidly. But, as long as the niches stabilize eventually, they will be filled back in through natural processes and we will end up with new species. This does take a long time, but a reduction in species diversity is fundamentally not permanent.

[ranguna]

I do agree that the ecosystem is ever changing, and saying we are making species extinct by itself serves as no argument, because new and maybe even more diverse species could emerge.

The question is, are new species emerging at the same rate as they were before the human industrialization era?

[voltaireodactyl]

Speaking solely for myself, I’m bummed that I miss out on the diverse ecology of our forebears. I also imagine some are worried that — as development continues to cut down on wilderness of every category — perhaps those environments won’t be as conducive to new species forming as past, pre-civilization circumstances.

[aziaziazi]

“I trashed all by books but it’s fine: I got a dictionary as a backup” :)

[huytersd]

That’s a ridiculous perspective. We’re losing genetic marvels forever.

[Blehmo]

We literaly took 1000 species and probably a LOT more who evolved over thousands of years and just wipe them out.

And I need to explain to you why this doesn't feel okay?

Do you actually enjoy your life? Colors? Art? Music? Foot?

Sry to be annoyed by your comment but wtf come on...

[29athrowaway]

When you explore the tree of life, one thing you will notice is that it has many extinct species.

Consider terrestrial vertebrates for example...

http://www.tolweb.org/Terrestrial_Vertebrates/14952

[tomcam]

Wonder what percentage is from cats

[tracerbulletx]

Our aesthetic and moral models in our brains define what we consider to be a "cancer" soo.. What does that even mean. I'm pro keeping the world beautiful and rich and fulfilling to human thriving, but I also feel as an objective part of life that if we all just die and a new cycle starts then it is what it is. Life just started making oxygen and killed almost every organism alive once so it's kind of just a thing that can happen I guess. We'll see if we're capable of stopping it from happening again.

[throwup238]

We learned by watching nature.

[29athrowaway]

We are a force in the universe trying to reduce entropy by assimilating matter and structuring it.

But ultimately life at large will be a failed experiment if the entire universe reaches a thermodynamic equilibrium where entropy is maximized.

[stana]

We are Borg.

[SenAnder]

But remember - Malthusianism was debunked, and the planet can support many more people. As long as you never think about environmentalism and population size at the same time - the only way to hold two conflicting ideas at once. I wonder if there's a succinct term for it..

[iancmceachern]

Yet somehow chickens survive, despite our attempts to eat them all

[pests]

Forced breeding.