Scientists warn that entire branches of the "Tree of Life" are going extinct due to human activities, posing a threat of a sixth mass extinction. The study focuses on the extinction of entire genera, which lies between the rank of species and family in the classification of living beings.

Of the 5,400 genera studied, 73 have become extinct in the last 500 years, a rate much higher than expected based on the fossil record. Human activities such as habitat destruction, overfishing, and hunting are identified as the main causes of this extinction crisis.

While experts debate whether this represents the start of a sixth mass extinction, there is a rapidly closing window of opportunity for humans to act and save many genera.

https://news.yahoo.com/scientists-warn-entire-branches-tree-011943508.html