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Rarity in mass extinctions and the future of ecosystems

Author

Listed:
  • Pincelli M. Hull

    (Yale University)

  • Simon A. F. Darroch

    (National Museum of Natural History
    Vanderbilt University)

  • Douglas H. Erwin

    (National Museum of Natural History)

Abstract

The fossil record provides striking case studies of biodiversity loss and global ecosystem upheaval. Because of this, many studies have sought to assess the magnitude of the current biodiversity crisis relative to past crises—a task greatly complicated by the need to extrapolate extinction rates. Here we challenge this approach by showing that the rarity of previously abundant taxa may be more important than extinction in the cascade of events leading to global changes in the biosphere. Mass rarity may provide the most robust measure of our current biodiversity crisis relative to those past, and new insights into the dynamics of mass extinction.

Suggested Citation

  • Pincelli M. Hull & Simon A. F. Darroch & Douglas H. Erwin, 2015. "Rarity in mass extinctions and the future of ecosystems," Nature, Nature, vol. 528(7582), pages 345-351, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:nature:v:528:y:2015:i:7582:d:10.1038_nature16160
    DOI: 10.1038/nature16160
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    Cited by:

    1. Lina Zhao & Jinya Li & Russell L. Barrett & Bing Liu & Haihua Hu & Limin Lu & Zhiduan Chen, 2024. "Spatial heterogeneity of extinction risk for flowering plants in China," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-12, December.
    2. Cepic, Michael & Bechtold, Ulrike & Wilfing, Harald, 2022. "Modelling human influences on biodiversity at a global scale–A human ecology perspective," Ecological Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 465(C).
    3. Pierre Desrochers, 2020. "The Paradoxical Malthusian. A Promethean Perspective on Vaclav Smil’s Growth: From Microorganisms to Megacities (MIT Press, 2019) and Energy and Civilization: A History (MIT Press, 2017)," Energies, MDPI, vol. 13(20), pages 1-21, October.

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