1. Summary

This video defines and explains extinction and the processes that can lead to it. It describes why certain types of plants and animals may become extinct and gives examples of living fossils. The video finishes by discussing the alarming rate of species going extinct today and provides advice on what humans can do to slow down this process or potentially even stop it.

2. Why Watch This Video?

• Have you ever wondered how and why certain animals go extinct?
• Would you like to know how humans can slow down or even potentially stop the alarming rate of species going extinct today?
• Have you ever been confused by the theory of evolution and how exactly it ties into the process of extinction?

3. Key Terms

• Evolution – The process of gradual change whereby living things come to be the way that they are.
• Extinction – To stop from existing entirely.
• Species – A group of organisms that are able to interbreed.

4. Loose Ends

Loose end #1: What is a living fossil?

A living fossil is a group of living things that are still around today but have undergone relatively little evolutionary change.

Loose end #2: Can a species come back after being extinct?

The process of de-extinction is being debated in biology whereby an extinct species could be generated through cloning or selective breeding.

Loose end #3: In the conclusion of the video, the narrator suggests “going greener” as a solution to combat the alarming rate of extinction that is currently occurring. What does “going greener” actually mean?

This term is somewhat subjective as “going greener” could mean two different things to two different people and those ideas could even counteract one another. For example, in some ways eating less meat is considered a way to “go green.” But in other ways, the necessity of cows, for example, on prairie grass helps to sustain the grasslands habitat, thereby creating a “greener” solution in sustaining the beef industry.

5. Self-Test Questions