It's getting late. Scientists agree that the Earth is currently undergoing the sixth mass extinction in its 4.6-
The Holocene extinction continues into the 21st century, with human population growth, increasing per capita consumption (especially by the super-affluent), and meat production and consumption, among others, being the primary drivers of mass extinction.
Humans could be wiped out by a catastrophic asteroid strike, commit self-destruction with worldwide nuclear war or succumb to the ravages caused by the climate emergency. But humans are a hardy bunch, so the most likely scenario involves a combination of catastrophes that could wipe us out completely.
In mass extinctions, at least three-quarters of all species cease to exist within about 3 million years. Some scientists believe that at our current rate, we could be on track to lose that number within a few centuries. Over the next few decades alone, at least 1 million species are at risk of being wiped out.
Human extinction is the hypothetical end of the human species due to either natural causes such as population decline from sub-replacement fertility, an asteroid impact, large-scale volcanism, or via anthropogenic destruction (self-extinction).
Yes, almost certainly, but the factors that determine the outcome are so immensely complex that our blunt and instrumental efforts are almost meaningless. The only thing that makes a difference is the combined impact of all individual animals including humans.
In 100 years, the world's population will probably be around 10 – 12 billion people, the rainforests will be largely cleared and the world would not be or look peaceful. We would have a shortage of resources such as water, food and habitation which would lead to conflicts and wars.
The planet has experienced five previous mass extinction events, the last one occurring 65.5 million years ago which wiped out the dinosaurs from existence. Experts now believe we're in the midst of a sixth mass extinction.
66 Million Years Ago: Cretaceous-Paleogene Extinction
The most recent mass extinction event is also likely the best understood of the Big Five.
While there's no way to deflect an unforeseen asteroid strike or put a plug in a volcanic eruption, the current extinction rate is being pushed ever higher by human activity — and that means that human activity can also reverse this trend.
India will overtake China as the most populated country on Earth. Nigeria will overtake the US as the third most populous country in the world. The fastest-growing demographic will be the elderly: 65+ people will hit one billion by 2030. We will need to figure out ways of how to accommodate 100+ people at work.
The model, called Mindy, provides a terrifying glimpse at what people could look like in 800 years if our love of technology continues. According to the company, humans in the year 3000 could have a hunched back, wide neck, clawed hand from texting and a second set of eyelids.
In the next 1,000 years, the amount of languages spoken on the planet are set to seriously diminish, and all that extra heat and UV radiation could see darker skin become an evolutionary advantage. And we're all set to get a whole lot taller and thinner, if we want to survive, that is.
With the extinction of life, 2.8 billion years from now it is expected that Earth's biosignatures will disappear, to be replaced by signatures caused by non-biological processes.
And while the starting point for modern humans is also up for debate, if we say that we've already been around for 200,000 years, we have a fairly comfortable minimum of 800,000 years left – a figure that's again in line with Gott's predictions.
The 'Big Five' mass extinctions
There have been five mass extinction events in Earth's history. At least, since 500 million years ago; we know very little about extinction events in the Precambrian and early Cambrian earlier which predates this.
Doomsday scenarios are usually the subject of Hollywood blockbusters. But experts believe they are more scientific fact than science fiction – with Earth overdue a mass extinction event for more than 30million years. They have worked out that catastrophic global incidents come roughly every 27million years.
A new tool developed by European and Australian scientists enabling unparalleled modelling of interconnected species loss shows cascading extinctions are unavoidable, and that the Earth will lose some 10% of its animals and plants by 2050, rising to 27% by 2100.
No! After the dinosaurs died out, nearly 65 million years passed before people appeared on Earth. However, small mammals (including shrew-sized primates) were alive at the time of the dinosaurs.
Following a mass extinction, biodiversity is greatly decreased, and it stays low during a "survival interval" before beginning to climb again. While some of the species that reappear after an extinction are new, others are pre-existing.
The huge increase in biodiversity during the last 100 million years massively outweighs the species lost in past mass extinctions. The number of genera, a measure of biodiversity more powerful than species count alone, has nearly tripled over the course of this time period.
By some estimates, as much as 30 percent of the world's animals and plants could be on a path to extinction within 100 years. These losses are likely to be unevenly distributed, as some geographic areas and some groups of organisms are more vulnerable to extinction than others.
By 2050, due to the lack of greenery, concrete forests will be made in its place. At this time there will be such a shortage of land that many big buildings will be cultivated to meet the needs of food and drink. According to a US report, the sea level will increase by 2050.
By most estimates, the Earth will be host to 11 billion humans by 2100, leaving little space for such for humans to live and thrive.