Concept information
Preferred term
mass extinction
Definition
- An extinction event (also known as a mass extinction or biotic crisis) is a widespread and rapid decrease in the biodiversity on Earth. Such an event is identified by a sharp change in the diversity and abundance of multicellular organisms. It occurs when the rate of extinction increases with respect to the rate of speciation. Estimates of the number of major mass extinctions in the last 540 million years range from as few as five to more than twenty. These differences stem from disagreement as to what constitutes a "major" extinction event, and the data chosen to measure past diversity. (Adapted from: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Extinction_event)
Broader concept
In other languages
-
French
URI
http://data.loterre.fr/ark:/67375/QX8-JKW9XVF5-D
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