Species extinction?

Question

I want to know the causes of species extinction.

Answer 1

humans?

Answer 2

1. More of the individuals of a species are dieing than reproducing

2. Hunting and killing of a species

3. Climate change (some species don't survive in high temp.)

Answer 3

the destruction of their natural habitats and environmental changes like ice-age and these days global warming

Answer 4

Species generally go extinct for a number of reasons..

1.  They are easy to catch and tasty.  

2.  They are a bothersome pest

3.  They are more of a subspecies

4.  They are poorly adapted to survive in a changing envoronment.  

For all that extinction gets publicity, most species are pretty hardy, and the number of widespred, useful species that are now extinct is very small.

Answer 5

Species go extinct because of unfavourable environmental conditions. For instance, tigers like jungles and thick vegetation cover because they specialize in stealth and they do not want to be seen. If their habitat is destroyed and farms are created, the tiger simply will die because of stress! It will seek camouflage everywhere and eventually will fail to hunt, so will die at the end of the day.

Evolution states that all species are able to adapt to changes, however time is the post important factor here.

60mln years ago dinasaurs went extinct supposedly from a giant meteorite striking the Earth. Now, dinosaurs were cold blooded. They needed the sun. But the latter was blocked for something like 3 years or so.

The crocodile is assumed to descend from the times of dinosaurs. How did it survive?

Well, the crocodile can stay without meal for up to 3 years (once it had a full meal). Maybe it helped it to survive the "hunger" after the meteorite strike.

Whatever the species, the key is adaption. In humans it is the equivalent of strong willpower and hope. Never give up. Changes occur constantly. In order to survive one must confront the new life.

PS But still, extinction is a natural mechanism to get rid of the weak and open room for other species to have a go. Much like a president can't run his post indefinitely. Every now and then the power shifts to and forth. It is a clear hint by the nature that nothing is forever.

Answer 6

CAUSES OF MASS EXTINCTION

- Scientists argue over the causes of mass extinction. Some say that rapid climate changes such as the ice age caused the extinction of many species, and some say that other catastrophic events such as large volcanic eruptions and meteorites impacts into the earth causes extinction. Nevertheless, mass extinction which can be the bane of one species, however, can become an opportunity for another. How, after five mass extinctions, could there be such an immense amount of biodiversity today? This fact can be explained by the concept of adaptive radiation.

http://library.thinkquest.org/28343/exti...

OVEREXPLOITATION

- Hawaii : Arrival of Polynesians causes extinction of at least 39 species of endemic land birds

- New Zealand: Colonization by Polynesians (1000 YA) followed by extinction of Moas and other large flightless birds

- Introduction of humans:

20,000 YA into North America

30,000 YA into Australia

- Recent examples: The great whales

INTRODUCTION OF PESTS, PREDATORS,

AND COMPETITORS

- Rats, house cats:

decimated endemic pacific island birds which are mostly ground-nesting

- Lost of mutualists

In Hawaii, many species of the Lobelia tree are endangered, due to the declining populations (extinction) of native nectar feeding birds

HABITAT DESTRUCTION

http://nitro.biosci.arizona.edu/courses/...

FOR OTHER CAUSES, see this link:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Extinction#...

hope that helped u a lot! :)

Answer 7

Well it depends on if oyu mean today, when humans would be the major cause of extinction or in the past, prior to humans when you can blame asteroids (which cuase changes to climate so plants can't live, then herbivores and then carnivores are eventually affected), climate changes eg ice ages, end of ice ages,

THe main reasons for actual loss are:

loss of habitat

lack of food (due to disease, climate change etc)

increased competition for space, food, niches etc

disease - especially for small populations

disaster which kills them then and there or will cause some of the other things to occur as a result of it.