558 Mammal species to go extinct by 2100 if conservation efforts not raised: Study

558 mammal species will go extinct by 2100 predicts a study on International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) based scenario. This study published in the journal Sciences Advances is a wake-up call to up our conservation efforts. This study was conducted by Tobias Andermann from the University of Gothenburg, Sweden, along with his colleagues.

558 Mammal species to go extinct

For the purpose of this study, researchers applied probabilities to statistics to the fossil records which in turn helped them understand and estimate the mammal species that may go extinct soon. "Particularly for the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature)-based scenario, we predict substantial diversity losses across all orders and landmasses by the year 2100, the final year of our simulated time frame. On the basis of the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature)-based scenario, we predict 558 mammal species extinctions globally by the year 2100," reads the study. 

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"Although the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature)-based predictions appear severe, they are realistic, as some areas have already reached these elevated levels of extinction at present," reads the study on mammal species. 

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As per the researchers, the extinction of the mammals in the past is simply an indication of what lies ahead. According to the current trend 'large extinction rates' are expected by 2100. But the authors of the study have also claimed that this can be avoided if conservation efforts are increased before it's too late

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Humans are a threat to Mammal Species

According to the study based on IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature)-based scenario, currently, there are about 5700 extant species and a minimum of 351 mammal species have already gone extinct. Historical reports only mention about 80 species that have gone extinct while the rest are only known due to the fossils or zooarcheological records. Aside from the climate and environmental factors, humans have also been associated with the extinction of mammal species.

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The IUCN based study attributes the loss of biodiversity to the human and calls them the 'main driver' of extinction of mammal species. The study says that human population size and human land occupation play a major role in extinction. "We also expect large biodiversity losses based on expected human population size increases, leading to significantly higher rates compared to the present. Therefore, human population size increases will undoubtedly pose a serious challenge for the future conservation of biodiversity in these areas."

"Human impact has led to massive population size decreases and habitat destructions for many species, leaving a large fraction of the currently extant species at a high risk of extinction," reads the study.

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