But the ultimate cause of all of these factors is вЂњhuman overpopulation and continued population growth, and overconsumption, especially by the richвЂќ, say the scientists, who include Prof Paul Ehrlich, at Stanford University in the US, whose 1968 book The Population Bomb is a seminal, if controversial, work. Wildlife is dying out due to habitat destruction, overhunting, toxic pollution, invasion by alien species and climate change. The scientists found billions of populations of mammals, birds, reptiles and amphibians have been lost all over the planet, leading them to say a sixth mass extinction has already progressed further than was thought. Detailed data is available for land mammals, and almost half of these have lost 80% of their range in the last century. The scientists found that a third of the thousands of species losing populations are not currently considered endangered and that up to 50% of all individual animals have been lost in recent decades. The new work instead takes a broader view, assessing many common species which are losing populations all over the world as their ranges shrink, but remain present elsewhere. Previous studies have shown species are becoming extinct at a significantly faster rate than for millions of years before, but even so extinctions remain relatively rare giving the impression of a gradual loss of biodiversity.

Prof Gerardo Ceballos, at the Universidad Nacional AutГіnoma de MГ©xico, who led the work, said: вЂњThe situation has become so bad it would not be ethical not to use strong language.вЂќ

The study, published in the peer-reviewed journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, eschews the normally sober tone of scientific papers and calls the massive loss of wildlife a вЂњbiological annihilationвЂќ that represents a вЂњfrightening assault on the foundations of human civilisationвЂќ. They blame human overpopulation and overconsumption for the crisis and warn that it threatens the survival of human civilisation, with just a short window of time in which to act. Scientists analysed both common and rare species and found billions of regional or local populations have been lost. A вЂњbiological annihilationвЂќ of wildlife in recent decades means a sixth mass extinction in EarthвЂ™s history is under way and is more severe than previously feared, according to research.

Dawn of war 3 annihilation