Extinction
Definition
The complete disappearance or elimination of a particular group of organisms or species from the Earth; it occurs when no members of the group remain alive.
Analogy
Think about extinction as deleting an entire folder on your computer. Just like you permanently lose all the files within that folder without any way to retrieve them once deleted, extinction means losing an entire group of organisms forever with no chance for them to return.
Related terms
Biodiversity Loss: The reduction in variety and abundance of different species within an ecosystem over time; often associated with human-induced causes.
Mass Extinction Event: A period in Earth's history where a significant number of existing species become extinct within a relatively short period.
Habitat Destruction: The process by which natural habitats are damaged or destroyed, leading to the loss of species that depend on those habitats.
"Extinction" appears in:
Subjects (3)
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