Name: Mass extinctions and the future of life on Earth
Uploaded: 2019-02-15T23:00:01Z
Duration: 16 min 50 s
Description: Rich scientific evidence comes from the history of life on Earth -- we just have to ask the right questions to find it. Whether it's figuring out the cause of the dodo bird's extinction or the bite force of a Tyrannosaurus rex, paleontologist Michael Benton shares some offbeat quandaries from the past, present and future.

Rich scientific evidence comes from the history of life on Earth -- we just have to ask the right questions to find it. Whether it's figuring out the cause of the dodo bird's extinction or the bite force of a Tyrannosaurus rex, paleontologist Michael Benton shares some offbeat quandaries from the past, present and future.

Mass extinctions and the future of life on Earth

Paleontologist - Head of the School of Biological Sciences at the University of Bristol.

The fate of species on Earth is shaped by lessons written deep in the fossil record. Today, species are vanishing up to 100 times faster than the natural average, with estimates ranging from one to one hundred extinctions per day. By studying patterns from the dodo’s demise to ancient mass extinctions, science uncovers how risk factors and climate change threaten life now. Evidence from deep time shows that even seemingly resilient ecosystems can collapse if key thresholds are crossed.