Showing results for "The Causes" in Nature & Ecology

If you've ever noticed your dog dragging their bottom across the floor, it's likely they're scooting. While it may seem like a strange behavior, it's actually quite common in dogs and can be caused by a variety of factors.One possible cause is intestinal parasites, such as tapeworms, which can irritate the area and lead to scooting.If you suspect your dog may have parasites, a visit to the veterinarian can help diagnose and treat the issue.Discover more in this podcast...

The sixth "mass extinction event" in the history of planet Earth is currently under way, with over two hundred species dying off every day. The cause of this seismic event is also the source of the single biggest threat to human life: our own inventions. But for all our talk about sea levels and biotechnology, do we really know what our future will actually look like? Will our immune systems be attacked by so-called super bugs, always evolving, and more easily spread than ever? Will the disappearance of numerous species cripple the biosphere?

In this Very Short Introduction, Paul B. Wignall looks at the causes and nature of extinctions, past and present, and the factors that can make a species vulnerable. Summarizing what we know about all of the major and minor extinction events, he examines some of the greatest debates in modern science, such as the relative role of climate and humans in the death of the Pleistocene megafauna, including mammoths and giant ground sloths, and the roles that global warming, ocean acidification, and deforestation are playing in present-day extinctions.