The extinction of avian species due to human activity has caused a dramatic loss of about 3 billion years of evolutionary history, irreversibly compromising global ecosystems, according to a new international study.
This analysis, conducted by a team of researchers from 24 scientific institutions, examined the disappearance of avian populations starting from 130,000 years ago, a period preceding human migration from Africa.
The team collected and analyzed data on 610 extinct bird species, including parrots, pigeons, and many other species that disappeared mostly due to human activities.
The loss of these species has had significant repercussions on biodiversity: it is believed that several species may have disappeared without leaving traces, depriving us of their evolutionary diversity.
Dr.
Tom Matthews from the University of Birmingham, the lead author of the research, highlighted how these extinct species played essential roles in ecosystems: some controlled pests by feeding on insects; others were natural scavengers, contributing to the decomposition of organic matter; still others were indispensable for seed dispersal, as in the case of birds that fed on fruit, thus promoting the regeneration of local flora. Species like hummingbirds, in particular, were crucial for the pollination of many plants.
The disappearance of these birds has led to an increase in harmful insect outbreaks and a reduced capacity for the regeneration of forest habitats.
In addition to the loss of functional diversity, which refers to the specific ecological role of each species, there is also a significant loss in phylogenetic diversity.
Each species represented a unique and irreplaceable branch in the evolutionary tree, and its disappearance is equivalent to cutting off that branch, a loss that impoverishes the history of life on Earth.
Scientists have estimated that each extinct species had survived on average about 5 million years before human impact, and that extinctions have caused a total loss of 3 billion years of evolutionary history.
Furthermore, the research revealed a 7% reduction in the total functional diversity of bird species that populated the planet before the arrival of humans.
This increasing rate of extinctions is exacerbated by climate change, with rising global temperatures transforming Mediterranean regions into increasingly hot territories, deforestation, and the introduction of invasive species due to globalization, which disrupt local ecological balances.
Published in the journal Science, the study aims to raise public awareness and promote urgent actions to prevent the extinction of other species, offering conservation agencies guidelines to allocate resources in a way that preserves the most vulnerable and ecologically vital species, on which the health of ecosystems and, consequently, human well-being depend.
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