The soft steps of the Apocalypse people hear almost ever since moved from the animal state in the human. But from time to time all the "warning signs" were tricked - hearing, vision and other senses. And now about the inevitable catastrophe talking scientists coming sixth extinction! Moreover, it has already begun. For reference: the previous five killed the dinosaurs and many anyone else is a big and strong...



Say, where are we, and where dinosaurs? Yes there is in the biology textbook. Fold the arrogance: a reasonable man (Homo sapiens) is the only species of the genus humans (Homo) from the family of hominids in the Primate. So recorded is not worth it. Better think about it: if the previous periods of extinction touched some species - large and strong, then where is the guarantee that this is the sixth - spare highbrow Homo?

Moreover, practice shows that most of the species that have ever lived on the planet, became extinct. In itself, this leads to the conclusion that every creature on the Earth, regardless of its strength or intelligence, is a "shelf life", and a man is no exception.

FLOWERS AND BERRIES

The first mass extinction (that is known to science) happened 440 million years ago. During the Ordovician-secureimage extinction from the earth disappeared more than 60% of marine invertebrates. We say, from the face of the earth, but, popravte saying, the land in those days was empty and nepriatno. All the life was in full swing in the seas and oceans. They were empty. And all because of Gondwana - giant continent, from which then "hatched" and Africa, and South America, and Australia, and Antarctica, - went to drift in and went right to the South pole.

Water borders have changed, and with them - and the usual habitat of all kinds of brachiopods and shellfish. Over all global cooling - water and land. The fact that today is the desert, the Sahara, there was a continuous glacier. Ice significantly changed the terrain: the water level in the ocean has fallen sharply. In short, all - or rather, 60% of marine invertebrates died.

To replace the shellfish came more advanced fish. The land was acquired by plants and the first tetrapods - four-legged terrestrial vertebrates. However, their music is played not for a long time on a geological scale, of course). 364 million years ago Devonian extinction. It again hit the inhabitants of the sea, 50% reducing the number of jawless fish. What was his reason, scientists argue: some sin for increased volcanism, others - on a cold, others on the comet, and the fourth suspect that blame sharp reduction of oxygen. One thing is clear: the fish came to an end.

CHRONICLE OF EXTINCTION
• 1/4 of all species of flora and fauna of the planet will cease to exist in the near future. We use 70% of the world's fisheries. She does not have time to recover naturally.
• 35% of all species of marine animals have disappeared from the face of the earth.
• Every second in the world disappear over 1.5 hectares of virgin forest and just destroyed more than 65% of virgin forests, which are the habitat of many species of flora and fauna. On the planet disappear annually about 17 million hectares of forest.
•34 thousands of plant and animal species listed in CITES - Convention on international trade in species of wild fauna and flora, being under threat of destruction.
•Annually in the world is destroyed 36 species of wild plants.
• Over the past 25 years the biological diversity of the Earth was reduced to 1 /3.

But it were only florets. Berry "happened" 251,4 million years ago, when the planet disappeared more than 95% of all living beings. Permian extinction called great, for it was the biggest disaster of the biosphere of Earth's history. The reasons of it to the end is not installed: again the words of volcanism, the greenhouse effect, the temperature falls, the fall of a meteorite... None of the versions do not find clear evidence. Whatever it was, "pestilence" put a cross on insects, parareptilia, cherished every paleontologist the trilobites and a good hundred species of living beings.

For the fourth time extinction - this time Triassic - walked on the planet 199,6 million years ago, and took half species, living then the Earth. Scientists blame the increase in volcanism and, as a consequence, the accumulation of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Poor - far-predelnye relatives of reptiles and eels - simply suffocated. But let us not grieve, for they do not even have time to cool their ashes, as appeared on the scene - attention! - dinosaurs!

The dinosaurs ruled the ball for many millions of years, but 65.5 million years ago happened the Cretaceous-tertiary extinction. 76% of species have disappeared, leaving only the bones Yes good memory. Survived only crocodiles, lizards and turtles lay down to sleep, and slept for a "nuclear winter".

The favorites of the public held sway for many millions of years, but their play was played, and the curtain fell: 65.5 million years ago happened the Cretaceous-tertiary extinction. 76% of species have disappeared, leaving only the bones Yes good memory. Survived only crocodiles, lizards and turtles. The researchers suggest that they just lay down to sleep and safely slept through "nuclear winter".


And when he raschepili sleepy eyelids, he found: instead of dinosaurs on the planet's walking man. And temper this "frog" was steeper than the tyrannosaurs...

BLOODTHIRSTY FROG

Man lives on Earth is negligibly small number of years. Just compare 160 million years, befell the dinosaurs, and miserable 6-7 million years that divert scientists such as Homo sapiens. But in that short time, people have managed to destroy more species of flora and fauna than all the asteroids, glaciers and volcanoes together.

As long as people have stated the opinion that he is the crown of creation and the king of nature, one million years had gone no more than two species of living beings. But for the last 11 thousand years the rate of extinction has grown rapidly. Vanished saber-toothed tigers, mastodons, mammoths, cave bears and wolves. Earlier in their deaths blamed climate, ice age, global warming. But today it is obvious: they destroyed arrows, spears, traps and insatiable greed. The perfect become the weapon and civilized human community, the smaller species remained.

ROYAL MANTLE

About the Dodo bird we only know from the pictures and memories travelers, as well as its wingless new Zealand friend sufferers MoA. Steller cow, Falkland Fox, marsupial wolf is far not the full list of victims "of the accession of the person". One can still understand cave people: they killed in order to survive. They needed skins and meat, but, for example, a beautiful bird of the family of honeyguides in the end of XVIII century destroyed... beauty. All that remains of these creatures, yellow robe of king Kamehameha I, exhibited in the Museum, Honolulu (the capital of the state of Hawaii).


Royal vestments made of feathers 80 thousand birds... Generally considered Hawaii Paradise on Earth - a great delusion. It is rather intensive care ward here live surviving 27% of bird species protected by the state USA. The remaining 73% is already extinct. So Hawaii is their last hope. Well, at least she. Birds and tailed the aborigines of Australia, New Zealand and other Pacific Islands have not got it. According to the assessments of environmentalists, the situation in the southern hemisphere near collapse: on a number of grounds there has already begun the sixth mass extinction.

Agriculture in Australia has already caused a noticeable impact on forests and their inhabitants. From former splendour have only 30%, but even they are threatened by deforestation.
The problem is that there are no prerequisites to ensure that the situation has changed for the better: the population is growing. Scientists predict that by 2050 people in Australia is by 35% more, than now. New Zealand threatens growth of 25%, and Papua New Guinea - all 76%.

People are simply displace all other living beings from the planet. Yes, all of us greatly ruined the housing problem...

DO NOT THINK OF SECONDS HAUGHTILY

Scientists believe that the peak of the current extinction will reach three hundred years. In geologic terms this is a second, no more. What can catch the people during this time? At least to organize another Fukushima, another oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, finally fill up the entire planet with plastic bottles and plastic bags. Pollution of the atmosphere, triple not the global warming, not cooling, to ditch natural plants with the introduction of GMOs... Summands of death can be summed up to infinity. But will all these things living organisms that inhabit our planet? Inflamed imagination monster army: pigs with horns, horses patch, etc. etc.

But, based on the experience of previous extinctions, it is safe to say that will survive are those who know how best to adapt. And, alas, it's not the man. As he heads the food chain. Simply put, it will always need food, and diverse. And, as you know, the higher the body is in the food chain, the more it is exposed to changes in the environment. Recently, researchers from the University of Chicago Dave PMAS and jaac Sepkoski found that in breaks between the great extinctions happened mini-Apocalypse. They even calculated their cycle: every 26 million years. Based on this frequency, the scientists calculated the life expectancy of various kinds. Invertebrates was lucky: they took 4-6 million years. While vertebrate uphappened only 2-4 million years. There you are, the more complex is arranged in the body, the shorter its age. Amoeba in this sense is much more viable Homo sapiens...

WANT TO EAT

Now, the scientists who are starving or malnourished 925 million. Another 1 billion suffer from hidden hunger, that is, their diet without vitamins and minerals. But another 1 billion literally obyazuetsya, calling to life a whole bunch of problems, from overeating to diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
By 2050 the population will increase to 9.5 billion He will need at least 40% more food, 30% more water and 50% more energy than today. Where can you find them? Question. Of course, you can eat food produced in the chemical laboratory. Big hopes are pinned on GM products. But in General, the forecasts for the future look bleak.

Here so casually, destroying living organisms circle itself, the crown of creation brings its own end. Sixth extinction began. And this time, its causes clear as ever. The only pity is that it changes nothing. According to official data of the world wildlife Fund (WWF), three species vanish from the face of the earth every hour, 70 species of flora and fauna disappear every day...

According to the world conservation Union for 2008, for the last 500 years has completely died out 844 species. And all indications that these murderous rate will not decrease, but only will increase. According to experts - biologists and ecologists, - in the next 20 years the extinction rate of animals will increase by 10 times!

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