Background
Welcome to planet Earth, whose inhabitants include chameleons, who can see in two different directions at the same time, insects without EYELIDS and elephants with their great sense of smell.
These are just a few examples. The variety of animals and plants on Earth is truly wondrous. Moreover, its diverse ecosystems, such as deserts, oceans, rivers, mountains, marshlands, forests, and grassy plains are specifically suited to the creatures and plants that live there. But changes to an ecosystem’s environment can spell doom for its native plants and animals, and unfortunately, this is happening all too fast today. Many species are at risk of disappearing entirely. While extinction has always happened as a natural part of a gradual evolutionary process, the current rate of extinction of animals and plants is thought to be hundreds, perhaps even thousands, of times faster than that brought about by natural evolutionary processes.
These are just a few examples. The variety of animals and plants on Earth is truly wondrous. Moreover, its diverse ecosystems, such as deserts, oceans, rivers, mountains, marshlands, forests, and grassy plains are specifically suited to the creatures and plants that live there. But changes to an ecosystem’s environment can spell doom for its native plants and animals, and unfortunately, this is happening all too fast today. Many species are at risk of disappearing entirely. While extinction has always happened as a natural part of a gradual evolutionary process, the current rate of extinction of animals and plants is thought to be hundreds, perhaps even thousands, of times faster than that brought about by natural evolutionary processes.
