Animal Extinction on the Rise

A new study published by the journal Science reports that the number of creatures who could possibly disappear from the earth is growing. According to the research, one-fifth of all vertebrates and one-third of all sharks and rays are threatened with near extinction, of the 26,000 species surveyed. The report goes further to peg human forces such as over-exploitation, habitat destruction, and invasive competitors as the reason for the species’ demise. Co-author Nicholas K. Dulvy also credited the rising number of endangered animals to the fact that one-third of habitable land on earth has been converted for food production.