I’m not sure if it was because I received two books about species that went extinct in modern times as Christmas gifts, but someone in my family felt compelled to inform me that extinction is just a natural process. “Species have always gone extinct; it’s completely normal,” they said. And of course, that’s true: Animal and plant species disappeared long before humans existed. In fact, about 99 percent of the four billion species that have ever lived over the past 450 million years are now gone. But that’s only part of the story.
Extinction as a Natural Process
Throughout Earth’s history, species have always gone extinct. Extinction is a natural part of evolution, often triggered by events such as significant climate changes, volcanic eruptions, or asteroid impacts. While some species vanished, new ones emerged. It is a cycle that has shaped life on Earth for billions of years. But with the rise of humans, a new chapter began.
Humans and the Eradication of Species
Although extinction is a natural process, something fundamental has changed: The current mass extinction of species is no longer solely the result of natural events. It is human-induced. Species don’t just go extinct anymore – they are eradicated.
Eradication is a relatively new phenomenon, intrinsically linked to human existence. Through overhunting, deforestation, habitat destruction, pollution, and the introduction of invasive species, humans have actively wiped out countless animal and plant species.
The difference between “extinct” and “eradicated” is not merely semantic; it’s a crucial distinction. “Eradicated” implies active human involvement – humans take on the role of the cause. “Extinct,” on the other hand, describes a natural process without direct human interference.
The Sixth Mass Extinction
I once read that approximately 150 species of animals and plants disappear irreversibly every day. This is a sign that we are in the midst of the sixth mass extinction. However, this mass extinction is fundamentally different from the previous five: While past events, such as the extinction of the dinosaurs 65 million years ago, were caused by natural disasters, the driving force behind the current loss of biodiversity is undeniably humans. Climate change, habitat destruction, poaching, pollution, and invasive species have destroyed entire ecosystems, leaving only a few species capable of surviving through adaptation.
The difference lies not only in the cause of species disappearance but also in the speed. While previous mass extinctions unfolded over millions of years, the current biodiversity loss is occurring in an instant on a geological timescale. Especially since the modern era, countless species of animals and plants have disappeared forever, including the dodo, the thylacine, and the golden toad. Scientists estimate that since 1500, up to 13 percent of all known species may have gone extinct. Other studies suggest that today’s extinction rate is 100 to 1,000 times higher than the natural average.
Early Eradications: Human-Caused Species Loss

The destruction of species by humans began long before the Industrial Revolution. Thousands of years ago, humans were already capable of wiping out entire species – whether through direct hunting or indirectly by destroying habitats and introducing non-native species into new ecosystems.
Many scientists believe that the sixth mass extinction began with the global spread of humans around 10,000 years ago. At that time, systematic hunting of megafauna – large mammals such as mammoths, giant ground sloths, or saber-toothed cats – began. The so-called Overkill Hypothesis suggests that early hunters deliberately and effectively targeted entire species, leading to their eradication. The key difference from today: Back then, people lacked awareness of the long-term consequences of their actions. Today, we know very well the devastating impact our interference in ecosystems can have – and yet we often fail to act accordingly.
Numerous examples from prehistoric times demonstrate that humans have significantly influenced biodiversity for thousands of years. On Cyprus, dwarf hippos and dwarf elephants were eradicated around 14,000 years ago due to hunting. A recent study also indicates that the extinction of most kangaroo species in Australia about 40,000 years ago was more likely caused by human hunters than by climate-related changes. Fossil studies show that these animals were well-adapted to climatic changes – but not to humans.
Is Historical Extinction Always Eradication?
In most cases, yes. There are few documented examples of species extinction that occurred without any human influence. A rare example of seemingly natural extinction is the subspecies of the Taiwanese swallowtail butterfly (Papilio machaon sylvina), whose habitat was destroyed by an earthquake.
But even here, the question arises: Could the earthquake have been indirectly influenced by climate change and, therefore, ultimately by human activity? While a direct connection is difficult to prove, climate change affects geological processes such as pressure changes in the Earth’s crust due to glacier melt or rising sea levels. This illustrates how profound the human impact on nature can be – even in events that initially appear natural.
Climate Change as an Amplifier of Extinction
Human-induced climate change plays a central role as a driver of the current extinction crisis. Rising temperatures, changing precipitation patterns, and extreme weather events are putting ecosystems under immense pressure and exacerbating existing problems such as habitat loss and pollution.
In a recent study, researcher Mark C. Urban found that approximately 1.6 percent of all known species – about 160,000 – are already threatened by climate change. This is particularly evident in coral reefs like the Great Barrier Reef, which has been severely damaged by coral bleaching. In the Arctic, melting sea ice is creating existential problems for species such as polar bears, which rely on ice for hunting and survival.
Every additional degree of warming increases the risk. In a worst-case scenario of 5.4°C, nearly 30 percent of all species could go extinct. Regions with high biodiversity, such as Australia, New Zealand, and South America, are particularly affected. Many species there are geographically restricted or dependent on specialized habitats, which are being destroyed by climate change.
Extinction vs. Eradication: Why the Distinction Matters
The difference between “extinction” and “eradication” is more than a linguistic nuance. The two terms represent fundamentally different processes – one natural, the other human-induced. “Extinction” describes the natural evolution of biodiversity over millions of years: Species arise, adapt, and disappear. It is part of the cycle of nature, without an active perpetrator.
“Eradication,” on the other hand, is human-made. It refers to the deliberate or negligent extermination of species through activities like hunting, habitat destruction, pollution, or invasive species. This active intervention makes humans the cause and responsible for countless losses in biodiversity.
The distinction is crucial because it clarifies responsibility. While natural extinction is inevitable, eradication can be prevented. The sixth mass extinction we are currently experiencing differs from previous ones in that it is unequivocally human-made – in both cause and speed.
While earlier mass extinctions were beyond our control, we have the ability to influence the sixth mass extinction. It is up to us to not only differentiate between “extinction” and “eradication” linguistically but also to make a practical difference. We must decide whether we want to be passive witnesses to destruction – or active stewards of a better future.
Successes in Species Conservation: Hope for Threatened Species

Although humans are the cause of biodiversity loss, we can also be part of the solution. Numerous conservation projects have shown that species loss can be halted or even reversed. One example is the return of wolves to many parts of Europe, including Germany and France. Through stricter legal protections and the acceptance of wolf territories, the species has rebuilt stable populations after centuries of persecution.
Similarly, Przewalski’s horses, which were extinct in the wild, now thrive again in their native Mongolian habitats thanks to intensive breeding and reintroduction programs. Equally impressive is the recovery of the Iberian lynx, once considered the world’s most endangered feline species. By protecting habitats, implementing targeted breeding programs, and reintroducing the species to Spain and Portugal, the population has grown from fewer than 100 individuals to over 2,000.
In addition to these traditional conservation measures, new technologies and scientific advancements offer additional tools in the fight against extinction. DNA banking, for example, involves freezing genetic material from endangered species to preserve it for future research or breeding programs. Such genetic resources can strengthen or even restore populations. The preservation of biodiversity is, therefore, not an insurmountable challenge.
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