Lecture 26 The Sixth Extinction: The Holocene Extinctions & Modern Defaunations

How does the fossil record inform us about the on-going modern extinctions? The Pleistocene megafaunal extinctions are over, but the that wasn't the end of the loss of species. After first looking at the Younger Dryas event and the start of the Holocene Epoch, we examine how humans switched from extensification to intensification in our search for food. With the Neolithic Revolution and the rise of farming, human agricultural societies flourished at the expense of wildlife.

We take a look at just a few of the species lost around the world, and examine the question if we are on the brink of a "Sixth Extinction" comparable to the Big 5 mass extinctions.

[paulmryglod]

Thank you for posting theae lectures! I'm educating myself while at work.

[robertsmith]

These lectures are incredibly fascinating and entertaining. I listen to them on my way to work and while I’m hiking. Thank you so much for posting these on YouTube

[ARCENAULT]

are these lectures free? can anyone attend? is there a cost to them?

[bensantos]

The audio is completely off and it sounds like you're drowning under water while giving a lecture on global warming.