Recent extinctions of plant and animal genera are rare, localized, and decelerated.

ABSTRACT: An important aspect of the current extinction crisis is the loss of distinct clades (e.g., genera). A recent study suggested that there is rapidly accelerating extinction of genera (and other higher taxa), indicating a current mass extinction event that endangers human survival. However, that study was based only on land vertebrates, which include only about half of vertebrates and <2% of living species. Here, we examine the recent extinction (last 500 years) of higher taxa across living organisms. We find that 102 genera have gone extinct (90 animals, 12 plants), along with 10 families and two orders. Yet, the majority of these genus-level extinctions were among mammals and birds, as were all extinctions of families and orders. There were very few extinctions among the thousands of genera

SUBMITTER: Wiens JJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12410804 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature