Research & Development World

  • R&D World Home
  • Topics
    • Aerospace
    • Automotive
    • Biotech
    • Careers
    • Chemistry
    • Environment
    • Energy
    • Life Science
    • Material Science
    • R&D Management
    • Physics
  • Technology
    • 3D Printing
    • A.I./Robotics
    • Software
    • Battery Technology
    • Controlled Environments
      • Cleanrooms
      • Graphene
      • Lasers
      • Regulations/Standards
      • Sensors
    • Imaging
    • Nanotechnology
    • Scientific Computing
      • Big Data
      • HPC/Supercomputing
      • Informatics
      • Security
    • Semiconductors
  • R&D Market Pulse
  • R&D 100
    • Call for Nominations: The 2025 R&D 100 Awards
    • R&D 100 Awards Event
    • R&D 100 Submissions
    • Winner Archive
    • Explore the 2024 R&D 100 award winners and finalists
  • Resources
    • Research Reports
    • Digital Issues
    • R&D Index
    • Subscribe
    • Video
    • Webinars
  • Global Funding Forecast
  • Top Labs
  • Advertise
  • SUBSCRIBE

Threatened Extant Species May Leave No Fossil Trace

By R&D Editors | March 22, 2016

The number of threatened species and their representation in the fossil record by continent and 'insular' (islands). Courtesy of Roy E. PlotnickThe Earth is in the midst of an extinction event. It’s the most significant extinction event following the conclusion of the Cretaceous. Popularly referred to as the “Sixth Extinction,” this time is defined by a decline in terrestrial biodiversity, a decline many attribute to humanity.

“For me, as a paleontologist, this is one of the really important issues of our day that makes us relevant, because we give context to what’s going on today,” Prof. Roy E. Plotnick, of the Univ. of Illinois at Chicago, told R&D Magazine.

Plotnick and colleagues from the Univ. of New Mexico and the National Museum of Natural History recently published research that states disappearing extant species may not leave behind a fossil record of their existence. The research was published in Ecology Letters.  

Surprisingly, the researchers found that less than nine percent of threatened mammal species have a fossil record, and 20 percent of non-threatened mammal species have a fossil record. Additionally, only 3.3 percent of threatened bird species, and 1.6 percent of threatened reptile species boast fossil records.

Those species likely to fall into obscurity are the small, or those present only in a certain locale. Think of mice, Plotnick said. The critters are usually on the menu for a lot of predators. While their remains may show up in owl pellets, their leftover material is usually recycled back into the environment.  

“It’s hard to preserve, especially in a terrestrial environment,” Plotnick said.

Generally, the recyclable nature of dead organisms is a good thing. If that weren’t the case, Plotnick said the world would be knee deep in the fossils of dead animals. Fossils are what fails to recycle, he said, attributing the dictum to his Smithsonian colleague Anna K. Behrensmeyer.  

The researchers used a list of modern mammal species from The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, and ecological databases of living species for their study.

Additionally, the researchers attempted to figure out how to compare the current extinction to the previous five. However, that proved difficult. While the current extinction episode is defined by a decline in terrestrial organisms, previous extinction calculations are heavily based on the fossil records left by hard-shelled marine invertebrates, according to Plotnick.

Regardless, the fossil record is far more durable than humanity’s records on digital storage devices. Plotnick said humanity’s longest lasting records are clay tablets. A fan of science fiction, Plotnick pointed to the post-apocalyptic genre as an example. If the digital record disappears in a catastrophe, all that will be left is the fossil record.     

The researchers noted that future research will focus on how the modern extinction may appear in the future fossil record.

Related Articles Read More >

Breakthrough in the Discovery of DNA in Ancient Bones Buried in Water
Traces of Crawling in Italian Cave Give Clues to Ancient Humans’ Social Behavior
Freshwater Mussel Shells Were Material of Choice For Prehistoric Craftsmen
Middle Pleistocene Human Skull Reveals Variation and Continuity in Early Asian Humans
rd newsletter
EXPAND YOUR KNOWLEDGE AND STAY CONNECTED
Get the latest info on technologies, trends, and strategies in Research & Development.
RD 25 Power Index

R&D World Digital Issues

Fall 2024 issue

Browse the most current issue of R&D World and back issues in an easy to use high quality format. Clip, share and download with the leading R&D magazine today.

Research & Development World
  • Subscribe to R&D World Magazine
  • Enews Sign Up
  • Contact Us
  • About Us
  • Drug Discovery & Development
  • Pharmaceutical Processing
  • Global Funding Forecast

Copyright © 2025 WTWH Media LLC. All Rights Reserved. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of WTWH Media
Privacy Policy | Advertising | About Us

Search R&D World

  • R&D World Home
  • Topics
    • Aerospace
    • Automotive
    • Biotech
    • Careers
    • Chemistry
    • Environment
    • Energy
    • Life Science
    • Material Science
    • R&D Management
    • Physics
  • Technology
    • 3D Printing
    • A.I./Robotics
    • Software
    • Battery Technology
    • Controlled Environments
      • Cleanrooms
      • Graphene
      • Lasers
      • Regulations/Standards
      • Sensors
    • Imaging
    • Nanotechnology
    • Scientific Computing
      • Big Data
      • HPC/Supercomputing
      • Informatics
      • Security
    • Semiconductors
  • R&D Market Pulse
  • R&D 100
    • Call for Nominations: The 2025 R&D 100 Awards
    • R&D 100 Awards Event
    • R&D 100 Submissions
    • Winner Archive
    • Explore the 2024 R&D 100 award winners and finalists
  • Resources
    • Research Reports
    • Digital Issues
    • R&D Index
    • Subscribe
    • Video
    • Webinars
  • Global Funding Forecast
  • Top Labs
  • Advertise
  • SUBSCRIBE