extinction
Let an agent explain extinction and its causes, report conservation status from authoritative sources, describe mass extinctions, and support conservation action without alarmism or dismissal.
Research draft, second pass
A second pass drafted this model: the structure a model of this thing needs, and what is known about it in the world. The line under this one says how the second half was obtained - researched against sources, or recalled without web access, in which case nothing here was read anywhere and every claim is a lead to verify. Unreviewed either way.
written by Claude from model knowledge without web access - no source was read, every claim is a lead to verify
Researched by: Claude
Purpose and description
Let an agent explain extinction and its causes, report conservation status from authoritative sources, describe mass extinctions, and support conservation action without alarmism or dismissal.
The dying out of a species, subspecies or population so that no living members remain, either globally or locally, occurring through natural processes and, at accelerated rates, through human activity; mass extinction events have punctuated Earth history, and current biodiversity loss is assessed by bodies such as the IUCN and IPBES.
What it is for: Understanding biodiversity loss and conservation.
It can be check whether a species is extinct or threatened; explain causes of extinction; describe mass extinction events; find conservation actions and organisations.
Distinguishing features
No living members remain
Global or local
Natural and human-driven
Assessed by authorities
What it looks like
Not physical; the absence of a species, documented in records.
How it is recognised
Declared by conservation bodies after searches
Local extinction differs from global
Extinct in the wild means survival only in captivity
Related models
is a kind of - category
is assessed by - authority
is related to - threatened species
is related to - ecosystem base
In practice
Families and kinds
global extinction
local extinction and extirpation
extinction in the wild
mass extinction events
functional extinction
Standards and regulation
IUCN Red List categories and criteria
Convention on Biological Diversity
CITES
Failure modes and hazards
Premature declarations of extinction
Alarmist or dismissive framing
Confusing local and global extinction
Also called
Where this came from
wikidata · CC0 1.0
Also registered as vr.tr.extinction-act
Drafted structure
Bundle to layer to finding to question, as the second pass will find it: 4 bundles · 8 layers · 8 findings · 16 questions.
Status Is it extinct.
Authorities decide.
Check
Conservation status.
Check
Conservation status.
- What is the status of this species, according to the IUCN Red List? provenance
- When was it last recorded? provenance
Scope
Global or local.
Scope
Scope.
- Is the extinction global, local or in the wild only? boundary
- Are there captive populations? provenance
Causes Why species die out.
Causes are known.
Drivers
Main drivers.
Drivers
Drivers.
- What drove this species decline, according to assessments? provenance
- Which drivers dominate globally, according to IPBES? provenance
Rates
Extinction rates.
Rates
Rates.
- How do current extinction rates compare with background rates, according to research? measurement
- How uncertain are the estimates? boundary
History Mass extinctions.
Earth history.
Events
The big five.
Events
Mass extinction events.
- What were the major mass extinction events and their causes, according to geologists? provenance
- Is a sixth mass extinction under way, and who argues so? provenance
Recovery
After extinction.
Recovery
Recovery.
- How did life recover after past mass extinctions? provenance
- Over what timescales? measurement
Act Conservation.
Action helps.
Actions
What helps.
Actions
Actions.
- Which conservation actions have prevented extinctions, according to evidence? provenance
- How can individuals contribute? action
Debates
De-extinction and priorities.
Debates
Debates.
- What are the arguments about de-extinction and conservation priorities, attributed to their proponents? provenance
- Is the description balanced? boundary
What the second pass must settle
- Should mass extinctions be separate entries?
- How should Red List data be linked?
- How should de-extinction debates be attributed?