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GCSE Biology · key term
The loss of a species when no individuals of it remain alive anywhere.
Used by AQA and OCR
Specification 4.6.3.6, 4.7.3.5 · Paper 2
Revise: ExtinctionExtinction can happen when, over time, too few individuals survive and reproduce to replace those that die. A small remaining population may then disappear altogether.
The permanent loss of a species after all its members have died.
Paper 1 (Foundation), Paper 2 (Foundation), Paper 3 (Higher), Paper 4 (Higher)
The disappearance of a species when no living individuals remain anywhere on Earth.
Revise: Human InteractionsExtinction means it has disappeared everywhere on Earth.
Distinguish the loss of a local population from extinction: a species is extinct only when no individuals remain anywhere.
Keep cause and consequence separate: increasing atmospheric carbon dioxide and methane contributes to global warming; altered habitats, species distributions and extinction risk are biological consequences.
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