Species Extinction Rates Grossly Overestimated, Scientists Say

[FlaGator]

More overestimations concerning environmental data. I have to ask myself if the original estimates on the current rate of extinction were derived based on some scientific bias or to facilitate an agenda

A group of researchers agrees that Earth is facing a mass extinction event, but they are daring to overturn dogma on how fast species are disappearing.
The researchers say they have discovered why current estimates are overblown, and they recommend a different way to calculate the rates.

"We need to go back to revisit ... how those numbers are derived," Fangliang He, of Sun Yat-sen University in Guangzhou, [COLOR=blue! important][COLOR=blue! important]China[/COLOR][/COLOR], said in a press briefing with fellow study researcher Stephen Hubbell of the University of California at Los Angeles.
We don't even know how many species actually exist, though it is known that biodiversity is declining drastically. But previously estimated extinction rates — some experts thought half the world's [COLOR=blue! important][COLOR=blue! important]plant[/COLOR][/COLOR] and animal species would be gone by 2000 — haven't matched what's actually been observed. Other researchers have claimed the difference originates from the lag time between when a species' habitat becomes unsustainable and when the species begins to disappear.

The researchers believe that the overestimation is actually due to how we derive these estimates in the first place.

Whole story is here

[Gingersnap]

They just rediscovered some kind of tree rat that was thought to be extinct for 113 years. They looked for it for years but then it just turned up in front of scientists who weren't looking for it and who didn't know what it was. Who knows how many things like that happen?

[PoliCon]

They just rediscovered some kind of tree rat that was thought to be extinct for 113 years. They looked for it for years but then it just turned up in front of scientists who weren't looking for it and who didn't know what it was. Who knows how many things like that happen?

What you leave out is that there's a reason why they've been hiding! These rats are ginger tree rats!

http://www.geekosystem.com/red-crested-tree-rat-2011/

[CueSi]

They just rediscovered some kind of tree rat that was thought to be extinct for 113 years. They looked for it for years but then it just turned up in front of scientists who weren't looking for it and who didn't know what it was. Who knows how many things like that happen?

There's still rumors that the Thylacine may not be dead either. So, it's possible.

~QC

[fettpett]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coelacanth