Extinction Flashcards
1
Q
What are the types of extinction?
A
True extinction (aka numerical): termination of a lineage
Phyletic extinction: an organism that lived in the past and no longer exists but has at least one living descendent
Functional extinction: not enough individuals left to carry out functional roles (eg. ecosystem services, reproduction etc.)
2
Q
Why do species go extinct?
A
- major cataclysms (eg. natural disaster)
- habitat destruction/fragmentation
- environmental/climate changes
- ecosystem/trophic change (eg. new consumer/competitor)
- co-extinction
