Mass extinctions

MASS EXTINCTION UNDERWAY

The World Wide Web's Most Comprehensive Source of Information on the Current Mass Extinction 

The Current Mass Extinction

  

  
The Current Mass Extinction:

Human beings are currently causing the greatest

mass extinction of species since the extinction of

the dinosaurs 65 million years ago. If present trends

continue one half of all species of life on earth will

be extinct in less than 100 years, as a result of

habitat destruction, pollution, invasive species,

and climate change. (For details see links below.)

This website began on April 22, 1998 with the posting 

of the article below. (The article is still here to provide 

historical context.) Following the article are more than 

300 links to recent authoritative reports and updates 

about the current mass extinction. New articles are 

added regularly. (Most recent update May 12, 2014.)

Mass Extinction Underway, Majority of Biologists Say Washington Post Tuesday, April 21, 1998 [Note: scroll down this page for HUNDREDS of links to updates about the current mass extinction. Most recent update: May 12, 2014.] By Joby Warrick Staff Writer A majority of the nation's biologists are convinced that a "mass extinction" of plants and animals is underway that poses a major threat to humans in the next century, yet most Americans are only dimly aware of the problem, a poll says. The rapid disappearance of species was ranked as one of the planet's gravest environmental worries, surpassing pollution, global warming and the thinning of the ozone layer, according to the survey of 400 scientists commissioned by New York's American Museum of Natural History. The poll's release yesterday comes on the heels of a groundbreaking study of plant diversity that concluded than at least one in eight known plant species is threatened with extinction. Although scientists are divided over the specific numbers, many believe that the rate of loss is greater now than at any time in history. "The speed at which species are being lost is much faster than any we've seen in the past -- including those [extinctions] related to meteor collisions," said Daniel Simberloff, a University of Tennessee ecologist and prominent expert in biological diversity who participated in the museum's survey. [Note: the last mass extinction caused by a meteor collision was that of the dinosaurs, 65 million years ago.] Most of his peers apparently agree. Nearly seven out of 10 of the biologists polled said they believed a "mass extinction" was underway, and an equal number predicted that up to one-fifth of all living species could disappear within 30 years. Nearly all attributed the losses to human activity, especially the destruction of plant and animal habitats. Among the dissenters, some argue that there is not yet enough data to support the view that a mass extinction is occurring. Many of the estimates of species loss are extrapolations based on the global destruction of rain forests and other rich habitats. Among non-scientists, meanwhile, the subject appears to have made relatively little impression. Sixty percent of the laymen polled professed little or no familiarity with the concept of biological diversity, and barely half ranked species loss as a "major threat." The scientists interviewed in the Louis Harris poll were members of the Washington-based American Institute of Biological Sciences, a professional society of more than 5,000 scientists. (Original article available here.)

(click images for articles)

SCROLL DOWN FOR HUNDREDS OF LINKS AND UPDATES:

For an overview of the magnitude of the crisis, scroll slowly down this page and read just the titles of all of the links. When you finish, go back and begin to click on the links to read the full articles.

New articles are added to this list regularly. Most recent update: May 12, 2014. (Note: websites are being re-organized at a frantic pace these days, sometimes resulting in broken links. If you find a broken link here you can often resurrect it by searching for the URL using Archive.org's "Wayback Machine". You may also be able to find the article you're looking for on another website with some careful web searching.)

To search for text on this page, use your web browser's "Find" feature ("Control-F" on a PC, "Command-F" on a Mac).

Note: You can now reach this page by the simple address www.massextinction.net.

UN: ACCELERATING BIODIVERSITY LOSS A "FUNDAMENTAL THREAT" TO "SURVIVAL OF HUMANKIND" (U.N./IPBES-- 2013)

UN: EARTH'S ENVIRONMENTAL SYSTEMS PUSHED TO BIOPHYSICAL LIMITS-- SUDDEN, IRREVERSIBLE, POTENTIALLY CATASTROPHIC CHANGES LOOMING (CBS/United Nations-- 2012)

SCIENTISTS WARN EARTH'S ENTIRE BIOSPHERE NEARING CATASTROPHIC "TIPPING POINT" (Nature-- 2012)

2012 RED LIST: 41% of amphibians, 25% of mammals, 13% of birds, 30% of conifers, 20% of all plants threatened (IUCN-- 2012)

OCEAN ACIDIFICATION AT HIGHEST LEVELS IN 300 MILLION YEARS-- MASS EXTINCTION "MAY BE INEVITABLE" (U.K. Guardian-- 2013)

ONE-FIFTH OF ALL INVERTEBRATE SPECIES FACING EXTINCTION: "EXTINCTION OF HUMANS COULD SOON FOLLOW" (IUCN/Zoological Society of London-- 2012)

One-Third of U.K. Species Have Lost Half Their Population Since 1960 (U.K. Guardian-- 2013)

WORLD'S ECOSYSTEMS AT RISK OF COLLAPSE-- TIPPING POINTS NEAR (United Nations-- 2010)

IUCN RED LIST ANALYSIS: "LIFE ON EARTH IS UNDER SERIOUS THREAT" (IUCN-- 2009)

2009 RED LIST RELEASED: "EXTINCTION CRISIS CONTINUES APACE" (IUCN--2009)

2008 RED LIST RELEASED: 50% OF MAMMAL SPECIES IN DECLINE, UP TO 36% OF MAMMALS THREATENED WITH EXTINCTION; 40% OF ALL STUDIED SPECIES THREATENED (2008-- Agence France Presse/IUCN)

WORLD'S OCEANS FACING MASS EXTINCTION WITHIN ONE HUMAN GENERATION (Oxford Univ., IUCN, IPSO-- 2011)

Half Of All Species May Be Extinct In Our Lifetime (Proceedings of National Academy of Sciences-- 2008)

UNITED NATIONS: HUMANS CAUSING GREATEST MASS EXTINCTION IN 65 MILLION YEARS (Reuters-- 2006)

American Museum of Natural History Official Statement on Current Mass Extinction

American Museum of Natural History Press Release on Current Mass Extinction

Fastest Mass Extinction in Earth's History (Worldwatch Report)

Earth Faces Catastrophic Loss of Species (U.K. Independent-- 2006)

POPULATIONS OF ALL WILD ANIMALS CRASHING -- DOWN 30% SINCE 1960 (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation -- 2008)

SCIENTISTS AGREE WORLD FACES MASS EXTINCTION (CNN-- 2002)

GEO-4: UNITED NATIONS ISSUES "FINAL WAKE-UP CALL" TO HUMANITY (N.Y Times-- 2007)

GEO-4: HUMANITY'S "VERY SURVIVAL" IS AT RISK, SAYS UNITED NATIONS (The Times [U.K.]-- 2007)

ALMOST HALF OF ALL PRIMATE SPECIES NOW THREATENED (IUCN-- 2010)

ALMOST ALL (91%) LEMUR SPECIES THREATENED WITH EXTINCTION (Duke University-- 2012)

Hunting Pushing Central African Forests Toward Ecological Collapse (British Royal Society-- 2013)

Catastrophic Collapse of Sahara Desert's Animal Species (National Geographic-- 2013)

MASS EXTINCTION TAKING PLACE IN EARTH'S OCEANS (Christian Science Monitor-- 2010)

ONE-FIFTH OF VERTEBRATE SPECIES THREATENED WITH EXTINCTION (Science-- 2010)

U.S. BUMBLEBEE POPULATIONS IN FREEFALL (U.K. Guardian-- 2011)

Earth Faces Sixth Mass Extinction (New Scientist-- 2004)

THE SIXTH EXTINCTION by Richard Leakey

The Sixth Extinction (National Geographic Magazine)

The Sixth Extinction (American Museum of Natural History)

Wake-Up Call on Extinction Wave (British Royal Society-- 2003)

Global Extinction Crisis Confirmed-- 2000 IUCN Red List Released

Mass Extinction Pace Quickening: Red List 2000 Released (N.Y. Times)

Headlong Drive to Mass Extinction-- 2002 Red List Released (Toronto Globe and Mail)

12,000 Threatened Species: "Only Scratching the Surface"-- 2003 Red List Released (U.K. Guardian)

15,589 Threatened Species: "Greatly Underestimates True Number"-- 2004 Red List Released (MSNBC)

16,119 Threatened Species-- 40% of Evaluated Species Are Threatened-- 2006 Red List (IUCN-- 2006)

Life on Earth Disappearing-- Unprecedented Extinction Rate -- 2007 Red List (U.K. Telegraph-- 2007)

Global Warming Threatens Extinction of One Million Species (Nature-- 2004)

Huge Extinction Risks of Global Warming Confirmed (Reuters-- 2006)

By 2050 Global Warming Will Doom A Million Species (National Geographic-- 2004)

BRITISH STUDY CONFIRMS WORLDWIDE MASS EXTINCTION (Science-- 2004)

Two Thirds of World's Species May Be Threatened (EurekAlert/AAAS-- 2005)

1998 Comprehensive Data on Plant Extinction Rate (N.Y. Times)

1996 Comprehensive Data on Animal Extinction Rate (IUCN)

World's Biodiversity Becoming Extinct (International Botanical Congress)

Scientists Warn of Mass Extinction (Environmental News Network)

CNN Special Report on Mass Extinction

Human Impact Triggers Massive Extinctions (Environment News Service)

Unprecedented Extinction Rate (World Conservation Union)

The Current Mass Extinction (Scientific American)

Wave of Extinctions Sweeping the Planet (United Nations)

Biodiversity Under Siege (Environmental News Network)

World Facing Greatest Extinction Risk Since Dinosaurs Disappeared (IUCN)

The Current Mass Extinction (PBS)

Mammals, Fish, Birds, Amphibians, Reptiles Suffering Major Declines (Worldwatch)

ONE QUARTER OF MAMMALS FACE EXTINCTION WITHIN 30 YEARS (United Nations-- BBC-- 2002)

ALL CORAL REEF SPECIES FACE EXTINCTION BY END OF THIS CENTURY (CBS News-- 2010)

Global Picture of Death, Damage and Destruction (United Nations)

Grim Picture of Extinction (2003 World Parks Conference)

One Quarter Of All Mammal Species Face Extinction Soon (IUCN-- 2000)

HALF OF PRIMATE SPECIES THREATENED WITH EXTINCTION (U.K. Times/IUCN-- 2008)

Half of World's Primate Species In Danger of Extinction (International Primatological Society-- 2008)

One Quarter of Primates Will Be Extinct in 20 Years (London Times-- 2005)

Primates in Peril (IUCN-- 2007)

One Third of Primates Face Extinction (BBC-- 2002)

Many Primates Face Extinction (CNN-- 2000)

Gorillas, Bonobos, and Chimpanzees 10 Years From Extinction (U.K. Observer)

Gorillas May Be Extinct in Central Africa Within 10 Years (National Geographic-- 2010)

94% of Lemur Species On Verge of Extinction (International Business Times-- 2014)

Monkeys, Apes Are Being Eaten to Extinction (Associated Press)

Primate Extinction Surge (ABC)

Primates in Peril (CNN)

70% Of Indonesian Primates In Danger of Extinction (BNO News-- 2011)

GREENHOUSE GAS EFFECTS ON OCEANS EVIDENCE OF APPROACHING "GREAT EXTINCTION EVENT" (Science-- 2010)

ALL WILD SEAFOOD WILL DISAPPEAR IN 50 YEARS (Science Magazine-- 2006)

World's Rivers in Crisis State (Nature-- 2010)

Earth's Edible Fish Face Extinction (Proceedings of National Academy of Sciences-- 2008)

More Than One-Third Of Freshwater Fish Species Threatened (IUCN-- 2011)

Freshwater Ecosystems Collapsing (U.K. Guardian-- 2009)

Mass Extinction of Freshwater Creatures Forecast (WWF Report)

World's Freshwater Systems in Peril (World Resources Institute)

90% OF ALL LARGE FISH GONE FROM WORLD'S OCEANS (Nature-- 2003)

PLANKTON DISAPPEARING FROM WORLD'S OCEANS (S.F. Chronicle-- 2003)

Sea Life in Peril: Plankton Vanishing (S.F. Chronicle-- 2005)

CO2 Acidification of Oceans Threatening Unprecedented Loss of Marine Life (U.K. Guardian-- 2009)

Rising Acidity of World's Oceans May Cause Marine Mass Extinction (London Times-- 2006)

Acidic Oceans Decimating Plankton and Coral (Washington Post-- 2006)

Oysters Disappearing Worldwide (BioScience-- 2010)

1,600 Marine Scientists Warn That The Sea Is In Peril (MCBI)

Entire North Atlantic Ocean on Verge of Collapse (New Scientist)

North Sea Undergoing Ecological Meltdown (U.K. Independent)

Last Chance For Southern Ocean (BBC)

Saltwater Species May Vanish (American Fisheries Society)

Most of California Native Fish Face Extinction (U.C. Davis-- 2008)

Ocean Dead Zones Pose Extinction Threat (American Chemical Society-- 2006)

Many Fish on Verge of Extinction (BBC)

40% OF AMPHIBIAN SPECIES FACING IMMINENT EXTINCTION (Chicago Tribune-- 2012)

WORLD'S AMPHIBIANS FACE EXTINCTION (Chicago Tribune-- 2006)

One Third of Amphibian Species Face Extinction (Washington Post-- 2004)

World Amphibian Populations Plummet Toward Extinction (AAAS)

Amphibians Declining Worldwide (Boston Globe)

40% of Amphibians in Americas Threatened (MSNBC-- 2005)

Amphibian and Reptile Populations Down 75% in Costa Rican Wildlife Reserve (U.K. Guardian-- 2007)

Climate Change Drives Widespread Amphibian Extinctions (National Science Foundation-- 2006)

ONE FIFTH OF REPTILE SPECIES FACING EXTINCTION (Zoological Society of London-- 2013)

Reptiles Vanishing Faster Than Amphibians (CNN) 

20% of Reptiles and 25% of Amphibians in Europe Facing Extinction (U.K. Telegraph-- 2009)

One-Fifth of Lizard Species Facing Extinction (National Geographic-- 2010)

Migratory Birds and Animals Rapidly Dying Out (Environment News Service)

65% of European Wildlife Habitats Threatened and More Than 50% of Species Facing Extinction (European Union-- 2009)

Almost Half of Europe's Animal Species Threatened (European Union-- 2006)

Many Carnivore Species At Risk of Extinction (Science Daily)

HALF OF EARTH'S PLANT SPECIES FACE EXTINCTION (Science)

50% of Europe's Plants Threatened by Warming (Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences-- 2005)

Forests Face Global Extinction (United Nations)

Trees on the Verge of Mass Extinction (World Conservation Monitoring Centre) 

Worldwide Plant Crisis Accelerating (E/Environmental Magazine)

Plants: Heading for Extinction (ABC News)

Threatened Wild Food Crops: "Terrifying" (U.K. Guardian-- 2006)

Plant Species Losses Threaten World's Food Supplies (BBC)

29% of Plant Species in U.S. Threatened (Chicago Botanic Garden)

20% of British Wild Plants Threatened With Extinction (British Government-- 2005)

Europe's Plant Species Threatened (IUCN)

30% OF WORLD'S MEDICINAL PLANTS ON VERGE OF EXTINCTION (New Scientist-- 2009)

1000's Of Medicinal Plants Being Harvested to Extinction (Australian Broadcasting Co.)

One-Third Of World's Conifers Threatened With Extinction (Reuters/IUCN-- 2013)

Wild Fruit Trees Face Extinction (BBC-- 2009)

Half of Cycad Species (World's Oldest Seed Plants) Threatened (IUCN)

Many Palm Tree Species Threatened With Extinction (Smithsonian)

Half of World's Bamboo Species In Danger of Extinction (United Nations)

Frankincense Trees Facing Extinction (Boston Globe-- 2006)

Wild Banana Species Going Extinct (India Times-- 2006)

Half of Wild Magnolias Facing Extinction (National Geographic-- 2007)

20% of British Wildflowers Facing Extinction (U.K. Independent-- 2005)

Intensive Farming Threatens Britain's Wildflowers (The Scotsman-- 2003)

20% OF WORLD'S BIRD SPECIES THREATENED (CNN-- 2005)

World Bird Populations Plummeting (WorldWatch Institute-- 2003)

American Bird Populations Disappearing (Audubon Society-- 2007)

Half Of Europe's Bird Species Threatened (U.K. Guardian-- 2004)

Migratory Birds on Brink of Extinction in Britain (U.K. Telegraph-- 2014)

One Third Of North American Bird Species in Decline (Christian Science Monitor)

Humans Are Driving Birds to Extinction (National Geographic)

Farming Threatens One-Third of Europe's Birds (BBC)

Quarter of Parrot Species on Brink of Extinction (BBC)

10% of Hummingbird Species Threatened With Extinction (The Hummingbird Society)

All Crane Species Threatened With Extinction (Times of India-- 2011)

Asia Faces Bird Extinction Crisis (BirdLife International)

World's Wading Birds Vanishing Fast (National Geographic)

28% of Seabird Species Facing Extinction (Birdwatch-- 2012)

Spotted Owl Near Extinction in British Columbia (Toronto Globe and Mail-- 2007)

EVERY SPECIES OF GREAT APE ON VERGE OF EXTINCTION (United Nations-- 2003)

Ebola Threatens Extinction of Gorillas (N.Y. Times-- 2006)

Gorillas and Chimpanzees on Edge of Extinction (Nature-- 2003)

World's Great Apes Hurtling Toward Extinction (Associated Press)

Last Chance to Save Great Apes From Extinction (United Nations)

90 Percent of Great Ape Habitats Will Be Destroyed by 2030 (United Nations)

Apes on the Edge (Population Action International)

New Hunting Wave Takes Indonesian Orangutan to Brink of Extinction (U.K. Guardian-- 2011)

98% Of Orangutan Habitat Gone By 2022 (United Nations-- 2007)

Humans Causing Collapse of Orangutans-- Outlook for Survival Bleak (BBC-- 2006)

Population of Indonesian Orangutans Down 43% in 10 Years (Wildlife Conservation Society-- 2006)

Indonesian Fires Threaten Extinction of Orangutans (Voice of America-- 2006)

Orangutans On Brink of Extinction (National Geographic)

Orangutan Numbers Plummeting Worldwide (Wildlife Conservation Society) 

Gorillas Face Extinction by 2050 (U.K. Independent-- 2006)

Gorillas Face Doom at Gunpoint (U.K. Guardian)

Lowland Gorillas In Drastic Decline (BBC)

Only 650 Mountain Gorillas Left in World (U.K. Telegraph)

Chimpanzees Will Soon Be Extinct (U.K. Guardian)

Western Chimpanzees in Danger of Extinction (BBC)

Uganda's Apes Face Extinction (The East African)

Congo's Great Apes on Brink of Extinction (South African Sunday Times)

Asia's Primates Face Extinction (MSNBC)

Gibbons Imperiled (N.Y. Times)

Madagascar's Lemurs Cling to Survival (Reuters)
Madagascar's "Flying Angels" Threatened by Hunting and Deforestation (Seattle Post-Intelligencer-- 2006)

Two-Thirds of World's Turtle Species Threatened (BBC)

Sea Turtle Hurtles Towards Extinction (U.K. Guardian)

Tide of Extinction Threatening Sea Turtles (The East African-- 2006)

U.S. Wild Freshwater Turtles Vanishing Into Extinction (Environment News Service-- 2009)

One-Fifth of Seahorse Species Threatened With Extinction (Washington Post-- 2012)

Seahorses on Path to Extinction (ABC News)

Mediterranean Shark Populations Plummet 97% (Washington Post-- 2008)

One Third of Shark Species Threatened (Washington Post-- 2006)

Sharks Face Extinction (ABC News)

Sharks Suffer Population Crash (Nature--2004)

Tigers Will Be Extinct in 15 Years (Bangladesh Daily Star-- 2009)

Tiger Habitats Down 40% in Past Ten Years (Environment News Service-- 2006)

Poachers Push Tigers Near Extinction (Enviroment News Service-- 2006)

Only 3,000 Wild Tigers Left on Earth (U.K. Independent-- 2006)

Extinction Stalks World's Tigers (World Wildlife Fund-- 1999)

Chinese Trade in Tiger Parts Could Lead to Extinction of All Tiger Species (Reuters-- 2005)

Skin Trade Threatens World's Few Surviving Tigers (Reuters)

India's Tigers on Verge of Extinction (Reuters-- 2005)

Indian Tigers' Last Habitat Being Destroyed (U.K. Guardian-- 2003)

Last Stand For Amur Tigers (BBC)

Sumatran Tiger Faces Extinction (U.K. Guardian)

Only 90 Chinese Tigers Left (Sydney Morning Herald)

Myanmar's Tigers Face Extinction-- Only 150 Left (Wildlife Conservation Society)

Vietnamese Tigers On Brink of Extinction (Viet Nam News Agency)

LIONS CLOSE TO EXTINCTION (New Scientist/BBC-- 2003)

AMERICAN TROPHY HUNTERS DRIVE AFRICAN LIONS CLOSER TO EXTINCTION (International Fund For Animal Welfare, 2011)

West African Lions on Verge of Extinction (U.K. Guardian-- 2013)

Lions Suffer Alarming Population Decline (S.F. Chronicle-- 2005)

Lion Populations at Alarmingly Low Levels (Defenders of Wildlife)

Extinction Threatens African Lions (BBC)

Lions Face New Threat (U.K. Guardian)

Asia's Last Lions-- Only 300 Left (National Geographic)

Far Eastern Leopard Faces Extinction (Times of India)

South African Leopards Hunted Down By Dog Teams (Reuters)

Arabian Leopard on Verge of Extinction (U.K. Independent)

Snow Leopard Being Pushed to Extinction (The Age-- Melbourne)

Only 20 Caucasus Leopards Left (BBC)

Most Remaining Wild Horse and Zebra Species in Peril (BBC) 

AFRICAN ELEPHANTS FACE EXTINCTION BY 2020 (U.K. Telegraph-- 2008)

Elephants Being Slaughtered in Poaching Frenzy (N.Y. Times-- 2012)

60% OF AFRICA'S FOREST ELEPHANTS KILLED BETWEEN 2002 AND 2011 (N.Y. Times-- 2013)

Indian Elephants on Brink of Extinction (ABC News)

Elephants on the Brink in Asia (CNN)

Vietnamese Elephants Face Extinction (Fauna and Flora International)

Thailand's Elephants Sick and Abandoned (BBC)

African Elephant Population Down 90% Since 1930 (N.Y. Times)

Sumatran Elephant Population Plunges-- Down 50% Since 1985 (IUCN-- 2012)

Sumatra Elephants in Danger of Extinction (Antara News--2005)

World's Bears Under Threat of Extinction (World Wide Fund for Nature)

African Giraffes Endangered (Reuters-- 2007)

Efforts To Save Panda From Extinction Failing (CNN)

Koalas May Be Extinct in 7 Years (Brisbane Times-- 2007)

Kangaroos Face Extinction In 20 Years (The Australian)

Polar Bears May Be Extinct in 20 Years (The Australian-- 2005)

Last Remaining Ocelot Habitats Threatened (Defenders of Wildlife)

Wild Cheetahs May Be Extinct By 2030 (Channel NewsAsia-- 2013)

Cheetahs on Brink of Extinction (CNN)

South African Cheetahs May Be Extinct in 10 Years (South African Broadcasting Corp.)

Only 60 Asiatic Cheetahs Left in Wild (U.S. State Dept.-- 2007)

Last Chance For Lynx (BBC)

Sea Otters in Peril (CBS)

Rhinos on the Edge (Ecology Magazine)

Poachers Pushing Asian Rhinos To Extinction (WWF)

Sumatran Rhinos On Brink Of Extinction (Agence France-Presse)

War and Politics Threaten Congo's Endangered Rhinos (N.Y. Times)

Nepal's Endangered Rhinos Down by 30% Since 2000 (World Wildlife Fund)

Hippo Population Down 95 Percent in 30 Years (WWF)

Niger Giraffes Face Extinction (BBC)

Endangered Rabbits (National Geographic)

One-Quarter of World's Antelope Species Threatened (Reuters-- 2009)

Tibetan Antelope Being Hunted to Extinction (AME Info, United Arab Emirates)

Demise of Asian Antelope is a Warning, David Suzuki, Univ. of British Columbia

Penguins in Dramatic Decline-- Symptom of "Catastrophic Changes" in Oceans (U.K. Times-- 2008)

Penguins in Peril (Environment News Service)

Albatross Faces Extinction (U.K. Guardian)

Half Of World's Bat Species Threatened (BBC)

Extinction Nears for Whales and Dolphins (BBC)

70% of Dolphin Species Face Extinction (BBC-- 2005)

308,000 Whales, Dolphins, Porpoises Drown Each Year in Fishing Gear (WWF)

Whales Pursued to Brink of Extinction (E/Environmental Magazine)

Half of Whale Species Threatened (World Wildlife Fund)

Northern Right Whales on Brink of Extinction (U.S. National Academy of Sciences)

Devastating Losses For Right Whales (National Geographic-- 2005)

Loss of One Pregnant Female Could Doom Right Whales (Washington Post-- 2008)

Climate Change Threatens Extinction of Blue Whales (WWF)

Discoverer of Whale Songs: "I'm Seeing My Life's Work Destroyed" (WWF)

Risk of Orca Extinction (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)

Porpoise Survival Threatened (BBC)

Dolphins Face Extinction in England and France (BBC)

Yangtse River Dolphin Declared "Functionally Extinct" (Time Magazine-- 2007)

Britain's Seas Are Dying (U.K. Guardian)

Time Running Out For Freshwater Dolphins (IUCN)

Extinction Fears for Nepal's Dolphins (Agence France-Presse)

Only 100 Maui's Dolphins Left (New Zealand Herald)

Indus Dolphin Faces Extinction (Pakistan Daily Times)

Manatees in Peril (CBS)

Monk Seals on Brink of Extinction (Honolulu Star Bulletin-- 2006)

CARIBBEAN MONK SEAL DECLARED EXTINCT (U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration-- 2008)

Retreating Sea Ice Endangers Walrus (Anchorage Daily News-- 2006)

Dugongs Nearing Extinction (United Nations)

Atlantic Game Fish Close to Extinction (Big Game Fishing Journal)

Atlantic Sharks Decimated (Reuters)

Deep-Sea Fish Being Driven to Extinction (Times U.K.-- 2006)

Deep-Sea Fish in Danger of Extinction (U.K. Observer-- 2002)

Tuna Near Extinction (U.K. Guardian)

Sturgeon Species in Dire Straits (Associated Press-- 2006)

Atlantic Salmon In Danger Of Extinction (World Wildlife Fund)

Cod Faces Extinction Threat (BBC)

The Last Sturgeon (Scientific American)

Dying Zooplankton Threatens Extinction of Marine Species (U.K. Observer)

Catastrophic Collapse in Sea and Bird Life in America's Northwest Pacific (New Zealand Herald-- 2005)

Vietnamese Sea Species in Danger of Extinction (AP)

North Sea Extinction Crisis (U.K. Guardian)

Hundreds of Asian Bird Species Face Extinction (New Scientist)

Quarter of American Bird Species in Decline (Audubon Society)

Half of Europe's Mountain Bird Species Threatened (BBC)

Northern Ireland's Birds Facing Extinction (BBC)

Kiwi Bird In Freefall to Extinction (BBC)

Peacock in Peril (India Tribune)

Three-Quarters of UK Butterfly Species in Decline (U.K. Guardian-- 2011)

One-Third of Europe's Butterfly Species In Decline (U.K. Telegraph-- 2010)

37% of U.K. Butterflies Facing Extinction (U.K. Daily Mail-- 2010)

Britain's Butterflies in Crisis (U.K. Telegraph-- 2008)

British Butterflies Face Extinction (BBC)

UK Butterfly Decline Steepens (BBC)

Australian Butterflies Facing Extinction Threat (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

Many Bees Threatened With Extinction (International Bee Research Association)

Bumblebees Could Face Extinction (BBC)

Italy's Bees Are Dying (Italian National Beekeepers' Association)

One Third of British Dragonfly Species Threatened (2008-- The Scotsman)

Half Of British Ladybug Species Face Extinction (U.K. Independent-- 2005)

Insect Extinctions Threaten Human Life (English Nature)

Insect Deaths Add to Extinction Fears (Nature-- 2004)

British Insects Disappearing (U.K. Independent-- 2003)

Endangered Insects (Xerces Society)

North America Facing Biodiversity Crisis (NAFTA)

One-Fifth of Animals and One-Sixth of Plants in U.S. at Risk of Extinction (AP)

Hawaii Hanging By A Thread (Discover Magazine)

Hawaii A Zone Of Mass Extinction (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)

Half of Mammals and Quarter of Birds in Malaysia Face Extinction (Malaysian Star)

Malaysia's Fauna Disappearing (Malaysia New Straits Times-- 2005)

Half of Portugal's Species Face Extinction (Inter Press News Service-2006)

Amazon Rainforest Will Be Destroyed by 2020 (BBC)

AMAZON ONE YEAR FROM CATASTROPHIC TIPPING-POINT FOR ENTIRE EARTH (U.K. Independent-- 2006)

Amazon Destruction Surges (BBC)

Loggers to Ravage Congo Rainforest (U.K. Observer)

Himalayan Forests and Species Vanishing (New Scientist-- 2006)

Half of Bangladesh Wildlife Species Threatened (Bangladesh bdnews24-- 2009)

Cloud Forests And Their Species Will Be Gone In Ten Years (National Geographic)

Deforestation Threatens Thousands of Species (Houston Chronicle)

Mexican Jungle Will Disappear Within 30 Years (Christian Science Monitor)

Mass Extinction Looms in Indonesia (Indonesian National News Agency-- 2006)

Last Chance To Save Indonesia's Forests (National Geographic)

New Guinea Rainforest-- World's 3rd Largest-- Being Destroyed (Environment News Service)

Borneo's Forests Could Vanish Completely by 2010 (Science Daily-- 2008)

Borneo's Wildlife Being Driven to Extinction (Belfast Telegraph-- 2005)

Borneo On Brink of Ecological Disaster (Wired News-- 2004)

Rare Animal Trade Threatens Indonesia's Species With Extinction (Jakarta Post-- 2004)

Loggers Threaten Last Stronghold of Philippine Biodiversity (CNN) 

98% of Haiti's Forests Gone (Jamaica Observer)

Philippines on Verge of Losing Most Native Species (CNN)

Ethiopia's Forests Face Extinction (United Nations)

"Extinction Spasm" Beginning in West Africa (Duke University)

Massive Die-Off of Species Expected in South Africa (WWF)

Many South African Animals Face Extinction (South Africa Sunday Times)

Bushmeat Trade Wiping Out Large African Mammals (Scientific American)

No Hiding Place: The Cost of Bushmeat (BBC)

Bushmeat: 1/4 Million Tons Of Endangered Primates Now Eaten Per Year (Sunday Herald) 

Madagascar's Species Disappearing at Alarming Rate (Toronto Globe and Mail)

Angola's Biodiversity Under Severe Threat (News24 South Africa)

Persian Gulf Wildlife Threatened (L.A. Times-- 2006)

Yemen's Wildlife on Brink of Extinction (Yemen Observer)

Five Years Left for Sumatra's Forests and Key Species (U.K. Guardian)

Malaysian Plants Face Rising Rate of Extinction (Sunday Times of Malaysia)

Thousands of Australian Species in Danger of Extinction (Melbourne Herald Sun)

Australian Species In Peril (CNN)

Australian Species At Risk From Climate Change (Climate Action Network)

Huge Rise in Endangered New Zealand Species (NZ Department of Conservation)

Concern Grows For Wildlife in Egypt (The Scotsman)

South-East Asia Faces Catastrophic Extinction Rate (Nature)

Extinction Crisis Looms in Mongolia (N.Y. Times-- 2005)

Half of Amphibians in Central America Facing Extinction (The News Mexico)

Trade in Animal Parts Threatens Wave of Extinction in Asia (Wildlife Conservation Society)

Vietnam's Bears Close to Extinction (Agence France Presse-- 2007)

Thousands of Antarctic Species Face Extinction (Reuters)

High Arctic's Biodiversity Down 26% Since 1970 (Scientific American-- 2010)

Arctic Fauna Extinction Fear (The Age-- Melbourne)

Half of Species in Norway Face Extinction (Oslo Aftenposten)

Wildcats Losing Battle for Survival in U.S. (National Wildlife Federation)

One-Third of Coral Reef Species Face Extinction (L.A. Times-- 2008)

Coral Reefs Will Be Gone In 20 Years (AP)

Coral Reefs Dying Even Faster Than Previously Thought (United Nations)

World's Coral Reefs In Serious Decline (U.K. Guardian-- 2002)

Caribbean Coral Suffers Phenomenal Loss (BBC)

Hawaiian Coral Ecosystem May Collapse Within Three Years (AP)

Deep Sea Species Being Devastated (UPI)

Dead Zones in the Oceans (U.K. Guardian)

Humans' Closest Relatives - Bonobos - Facing Extinction (BBC-- 2004)

Bonobos on Brink of Extinction (Reuters-- 2005)

Bush Meat Trade Pushing Bonobos to Extinction (Christian Science Monitor)

Is Humanity Suicidal? by E.O. Wilson, Harvard University

The Future of Life, E.O. Wilson, Harvard University

Can Humans and Nature Coexist? (USA Today)

The Weeds Shall Inherit the Earth, David Quammen (U.K. Independent)

Life in the Balance, by Niles Eldredge, American Museum of Natural History 

The Sixth Extinction, by Niles Eldredge, American Museum of Natural History

World Losing Battle Against Extinctions, Peter Raven, Washington University (BBC)

The Biodiversity Crisis, Peter Raven, Washington University

Earth in the Balance, Peter Raven, Washington University

The Future of Life, E.O. Wilson [RealAudio]

Are We Facing Mass Extinction? Peter Raven [RealAudio]

End of the Wild, Stephen M. Meyer, MIT

Mass Extinction Foreseen, Michael Soule, U.C. Santa Cruz

Biotic Holocaust, Norman Myers, Oxford University

A Winnowing for Tomorrow's World, Norman Myers, Oxford University

Planet Faces Mass Extinction, Richard Leakey

Earth On Edge, Michael Novacek, American Museum of Natural History

Repeating History at Our Peril, by David Suzuki, University of British Columbia

Ecologists Predict Massive Extinction (University of Tennessee)

The Dawn of a New Mesozoic Era (Wired News)

Losing Strands in the Web of Life (Worldwatch Institute)

Extinctions Past and Present (World Book)

The Brink of the Homogocene (U.S. National Academy of Sciences)

Rapid Species Loss a Global Danger (Science)

A Field Guide to the Sixth Extinction (N.Y. Times)

The Last of Their Kind (E/Environmental Magazine)

Local Populations Going Extinct (Stanford University)

Genetic Diversity Within Single Species As Crucial as Species Diversity (National Geographic) 

Study Jolts Views on Recovery from Extinctions (N.Y. Times)

Recovery From Extinction Will Take Ten Million Years (ABC News)

Global Warming May Cause Extinction of 95% of Species (The Scotsman-- 2003)

Global Warming Report Predicts Doom For Many Species (N.Y. Times)

Global Warming May Make Mass Extinction Unavoidable (Univ. of Arizona)

Global Warming Threatens Third of World Habitat (Reuters)

Extinctions, Not Random, Threaten Thousands of Species (UniSci)

Hunting To Extinction (U.S. News and World Report)

What Will We Lose As More Species Vanish? (N.Y. Times)

Human Alteration of Environment has Triggered Sixth Major Extinction (Nature)

Human Domination of Earth's Ecosystems (Science)

Humans Now Using 40% Of All Resources Available For Life On Earth (U.K. Guardian) 

Ecological Overshoot: Humans Exceeding Earth's Capacity (U.S. National Academy of Sciences)

Smaller Households Lead to Vanishing Biodiversity (Nature)

World's Ecosystems on Verge of Sudden Collapse (Nature)

The Current Biodiversity Extinction Event (U.S. National Academy of Sciences)

The Biotic Crisis and the Future of Evolution (U.S. National Academy of Sciences)

Biodiversity: Vanishing Before Our Eyes (Time Magazine)

Time Nearly Up For Human Race (U.K. Guardian)

Humans Moving Closer To Extinction, Study Says (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)

Time Running Out For the Environment (Johns Hopkins Population InformationProgram) 

British Environment Minister: Humans Killing Planet (U.K. Guardian)

Needed-- Two More Planets (WWF)

Nature's Crown Jewels Face Ruin (U.K. Guardian)

Extinction Crisis Even Worse Than Previously Thought (Science)

Governments Sound Biodiversity Alarm (Convention on Biological Diversity)

UN Paints Grim Global Picture (United Nations Environment Program--Outlook 2000) 

Earth on Edge of a Precipice: United Nations 2001 Population Report

Earth Will Expire By 2050 (World Wildlife Fund)

2002 Biodiversity Summit a Complete Failure (U.K. Guardian)

Condition Critical: U.N. Assessment of Earth's Ecosystems (Time)

The Fraying Web of Life (United Nations)

A History of Awareness of the Current Mass Extinction (Wild Earth Magazine)

Why Are We Not Astonished? Ed Ayres (Worldwatch)

About the webmaster of this site:

David Ulansey is Visiting Professor of Religious Studies at U.C. Berkeley, and Professor Emeritus of Philosophy and Religion at the California Institute of Integral Studies in San Francisco. He received his Ph.D. in the history of religion from Princeton University, and has taught at Boston University, Barnard College (Columbia University), the University of Vermont, Princeton University, and Pacifica Graduate Institute. He is the author of The Origins of the Mithraic Mysteries: Cosmology and Salvation in the Ancient World (Oxford University Press), and has published articles in Scientific American and numerous other scholarly journals. He is the Executive Producer of a new documentary film on the extinction crisis-- "Call of Life: Facing the Mass Extinction"-- forthcoming from the Species Alliance, of which he is the founder.

To read Dr. Ulansey's recent letter on the extinction crisis published in the New York Times, click HERE.

To listen to a talk by Dr. Ulansey on the extinction crisis click HERE.