Planet's sixth mass extinction event is underway — humans are to blame

There have been five mass extinction events of biodiversity throughout the planet's history, but all have been attributed to natural phenomena

The world may have lost up to 260,000 species, or 13%, in the last 500 years as a human-led sixth mass extinction event currently takes shape.

The world may have lost up to 260,000 species, or 13%, in the last 500 years as a human-led sixth mass extinction event currently takes shape.

That is the sobering analysis from biologists at the University of Hawaii at Mānoa and the Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle in Paris, as they examined whether or not another so-called 'mass extinction event' is currently taking place.