The term "sixth mass extinction/sixth extinction" is often mentioned in the news in the context of the discussion of
A
Widespread monoculture practices in agriculture and large-scale commercial farming with indiscriminate use of chemicals in many parts of the world that may result in the loss of good native ecosystems.
B
Fears of a possible collision of a meteorite with the Earth in the near future in the manner it happened 65 million years ago that caused the mass extinction of many species including those of dinosaurs.
C
Large scale cultivation of genetically modified crops in many parts of the world and promoting their cultivation in other parts of the world which may cause the disappearance of good native crop plants and the loss of food biodiversity.
D
Mankind's over-exploitation/misuse of natural resources, fragmentation/loss of natural habitats, destruction of ecosystems, pollution and global climate change.
Correct answer
Explanation
Option (D) is correct because the "sixth mass extinction," also known as the Anthropocene extinction, refers to the ongoing, accelerated loss of biodiversity driven primarily by human activities such as habitat destruction, over-exploitation, and climate change. Option (B) is the most tempting distractor but is incorrect as it describes the fifth mass extinction (Cretaceous-Paleogene) caused by a meteorite, whereas the current sixth extinction is uniquely characterized by anthropogenic causes. The core concept tested is the impact of human civilization on the Earth's biological systems and the distinction between natural and human-induced mass extinction events.
Biodiversity & ConservationMass ExtinctionSixth mass extinctionHolocene extinctionAnthropoceneHabitat lossOver-exploitation