Extinction rates have slowed in recent years, study shows
A new study finds that extinction rates among some groups, such as molluscs and tetrapods, rose steadily for centuries but have declined in the last hundred years.
This challenges the common idea that species loss is only getting worse, offering a more hopeful perspective on biodiversity.
Study details extinction trends over the last 500 years
Looking at half a millennium of records, researchers saw extinctions spike after European colonization and industrialization.
But from the early 1900s onward, stronger conservation laws and habitat protection have helped slow the loss—especially on continents.
Islands still struggle with invasive species threats.
Need for continued conservation efforts
The decline in extinction rates shows that conservation efforts really do make a difference.
Still, many species face risks from habitat loss, pollution, and climate change.
The study urges us to keep working together globally to protect nature for the future.