New Scientist
Image: Austronesian Expeditions
Good news or bad? The latest update to the IUCN Red List shows many species are in decline – but no additions to the Extinct category.
Even so, evidence is growing that the world is entering another period of mass extinction.
The IUCN now has information on nearly 80,000 animal and plant species, of which almost 23,000 are threatened with extinction.
In the latest update, 14 species have been moved into the Critically Endangered (Possibly Extinct) category, including a Haitian tree, Magnolia emarginata, and 10 species of Madagascar’s endemic orchid, including Angraecum mahavavense.
The absence of additions to the Extinct category is largely because demonstrating extinction is difficult, says Craig Hilton-Taylor, head of the IUCN’s Red List Unit. Read more on newscientist.com…
