Holocene extinction

High school (ages 12+)
Environment & Earth

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/holocene-extinction

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the scientific classification?Holocene extinction (also Anthropocene extinction, Sixth Mass Extinction)
2. What is the primary causation?Exclusively human activities (anthropogenic)
3. Why are animals disappearing faster than before?Human activities such as hunting, destroying habitats, overfishing, and climate change are pushing species beyond their limits. Rapid population growth and high consumption add to the pressure.
4. How does the Holocene extinction differ from past mass extinctions?Earlier mass extinctions were caused by big natural events like asteroid impacts. The Holocene extinction is driven mainly by people, not natural disasters.

Anthropogenic: Originating in human activity; influenced or caused by humans.
Mass Extinction Event: A widespread and rapid decrease in the biodiversity on Earth, with a sharp increase in extinction rates.
Global Superpredator: A species that exerts a dominant influence on ecosystems worldwide due to its high-level position in food webs and extensive impact.
Biosphere: The sum of all ecosystems on Earth, encompassing all living organisms and their environments.