The Earth is said to be in a sixth mass extinction, where many species of plants and animals are at risk of extinction. The last mass extinction event was the fifth mass extinction, which is also known as the Cretaceous-Paleogene extinction event. The Cretaceous-Paleogene extinction event is thought to have happened around 66 million years ago, it is the mass extinction event that resulted in the end of the dinosaurs.
The sixth mass extinction, also known as the Holocene extinction event, is thought to be causing species today to become extinct at a faster rate than when dinosaurs became extinct. Species today are becoming extinct 1000 times faster than their natural rate of extinction. As a result, 1 million species today are at risk of extinction in the future.
The IUCN Red List estimated that 32,000 assessed species are at risk of extinction today, which means that 27% of all assessed species of plants and animals are at risk of extinction today. Some groups of species are more at risk of extinction than other groups of species. We are going to look at the top 7 animal and plant species that are threatened with extinction today.
#7 Birds
Birds are the seventh top group of animal and plant species that are threatened with extinction. Not all bird species are threatened with extinction. It is estimated that 14% of all assessed bird species are threatened with extinction today.
#6 Mammals
Some of the most well-known endangered animals are mammals, especially big cat species like Tigers and Amur Leopards. Mammals are one of the most at-risk groups of extinction today. It is estimated that 25% of all assessed mammal species are at risk of extinction, which means that one in every four assessed mammal species is at risk of extinction today.
#5 Crustaceans
Crustaceans are the fifth top group which is threatened with extinction, nearly twice as many crustaceans are threatened with extinction compared to birds. Today, it is estimated that 27% of all assessed crustacean species are threatened with extinction today.
#4 Sharks & Rays
Sharks and rays are the second top group of animals which are most at risk of extinction today, only one other group of animals is more at risk of extinction than Sharks and rays. Today, 30% of all assessed Shark and ray species are at risk of extinction in the wild.
#3 Reef Corals
Reef Corals are at risk of bleaching today, due to rising sea temperatures. This makes Reef Corals one of the most at-risk groups of extinction. Today, it is estimated that 33% of assessed Reef Corals are at risk of extinction today, this not only puts the corals at risk of extinction, it also puts the marine animals that depend on them at risk of extinction too.
#2 Conifers
Conifers are the most at-risk plant group in the world of becoming extinct and the second top animal and plant group at risk of becoming extinct today. It is estimated that 34% of all conifer species are at risk of extinction today.
#1 Amphibians
Amphibians today are by far the most at-risk group of becoming extinct. Amphibians are so at-risk of extinction today, that almost half of all assessed amphibian species are at risk of extinction. Today, out of all assessed amphibian species, 41% are at risk of extinction.
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