The Sixth Extinction (and the Other Five)
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Are we living through Earth's sixth major mass extinction event?
Spring Quarter
The course will address the causes and consequences of extinction. It will review current understanding of background and mass extinction in the fossil record, including a close examination of three major mass extinction events. It will assess the intensity, selectivity, and trends in the current biodiversity crisis and assess the options and prospects for approaches to mitigating and, ultimately, recovering from this sixth extinction.
Taught by Dorrell William Kirby Professor, Senior Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs and Senior Fellow at the Woods Institute for the Environment Jonathan Payne. [GEOLSCI 137/237, BIO 169/237, EARTHSYS 127a/227a]