Biology / Bio 3705 · Atom · ~20 seconds
Background Extinction Rate versus Mass Extinction
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The background extinction rate is the ordinary, long-run species-loss rate; a mass extinction is a far higher rate in a short interval.
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The fossil record identifies past mass extinctions where species disappearance rises sharply above baseline.
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Assuming one species' loss signals mass extinction is the error — it needs an elevated rate across many lineages.