Quote:
Originally Posted by baggygreen
Not actually true, Sky.
Carboniferous period saw the most diverse range of plant and animal life (albeit somewhat less complex than todays), and the period finished in an extremely quick fashion at the end of the period.
Interesting to note, that C02 levels were roughly 3000ppm as opposed to the measly 385 or so of today, and yet the earth supported more and more diverse life than now.
hmmm
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While I wrote for Haplo and posted the one before this post, you posted as well.
Well, see my description on the Carboniferous. We are talking about a mass extinction that was very total, but nevertheless took place over much longer time then the speed record set by our present. we compare the past 100-200 years - to tens if not hundreds of thousands of years, maybe even more. Think in geologic time scales. The carboniferous lasted roughly 60 million years. Even a fraction of that seeing the extinction of much of the life forms of that time - most likely ystill means hundreds of tousand, even one or 2 million years. and one million years only - is fast, for geological standards.
The diversity of life forms today is the highest in Earth's history. If we already have deleted so much of that that it compares to a prominent numerical fraction of the diversity of species 300 million years ago, and did acchieve that in just 200 years where back then it took a thousand times or more longer, then this really holds a message, doesn't it.
Again, man's impact on earth only compares to a major killer meteorite impact - just that we work for the consequences a thousand times faster than that damn rock.