Overview
- University of Arizona researchers Kristen Saban and John Wiens analyzed records spanning nearly 2 million species and 912 documented extinctions over the past 500 years.
- The paper in Proceedings of the Royal Society B reports declines in extinction rates for plants, arthropods, and land vertebrates since the early 20th century.
- Historical losses were concentrated among mollusks and vertebrates on islands, while current IUCN assessments show most at-risk species are mainland species confronting habitat destruction.
- The analysis found no evidence that climate change has increased extinctions in recent centuries, though the researchers warn it remains a looming threat.
- The study credits conservation efforts with helping slow losses in some groups and cautions that extrapolating past patterns can misstate current and future risks.