Invasive Species May Trigger Next Mass Extinction

Photo credit: woodleywonderworks/Creative Commons

Throughout the history of the Earth, there have been five great extinction events—periods in which there was a sharp decrease in both the diversity and abundance of life. With estimates indicating that currently one animal species is lost every 20 minutes, some have begun calling the present period the "sixth great extinction."
The loss of species alone, however, does not tell the entire story of an extinction event. According to new research, the lack of new species is also important—and the spread of invasive species may be the greatest hindrance to the process of speciation.

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