History of mass extinction is a grim lesson on climate change
The five periods in the history of Earth that had the highest levels of extinction were all linked to climate change, fossil evidence shows.
The findings support fears that wild-life will be driven to extinction in the next few centuries in numbers to rival the death of the dinosaurs 65 million years ago.
Higher temperatures found to be associated with four of the mass extinctions were at about the same level that is forecast by climate change scientists for the next 100 to 200 years.
During each of the mass extinction events in the past 525 million years at least half of the animal and plant species were estimated to have been wiped out.
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The findings support fears that wild-life will be driven to extinction in the next few centuries in numbers to rival the death of the dinosaurs 65 million years ago.
Higher temperatures found to be associated with four of the mass extinctions were at about the same level that is forecast by climate change scientists for the next 100 to 200 years.
During each of the mass extinction events in the past 525 million years at least half of the animal and plant species were estimated to have been wiped out.