Written by the Fiveable Content Team โข Last updated September 2025
Verified for the 2026 exam
Verified for the 2026 examโขWritten by the Fiveable Content Team โข Last updated September 2025
Definition
The rate of extinction is the number of species that become extinct over a given period of time.
Related terms
Endangered Species: These are species that are at risk of becoming extinct because they either have very few individuals left or face serious threats to their survival.
This is an event where a large percentage of all living species become extinct in a relatively short period due to some catastrophic event or widespread environmental change.