Discover the diversity of life on earth and how this biodiversity has been shaped by five mass extinction events that occurred in the distant past. Each week we interview scientists about how their research informs us about the biodiversity of our planet including the earliest life forms; fish and tetrapod diversification; the radiation of reptiles and the later domination of dinosaurs; and the rise of mammals. We focus on the five previous mass extinction events to explain this incredible story of life on earth. The fossil record reveals evidence of species that went extinct during each of these catastrophic events and the recovery thereafter when surviving biota diversified. Turning to the present and the Anthropocene period, we look at how human behaviour is negatively impacting Earth’s ecosystems. We conclude by considering the threat of the so-called ‘sixth extinction’, and we discuss ways in which we can mitigate the effects of climate change and the ‘sixth extinction”.
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您将学到什么
The five past mass extinctions and their impact on life on earth.
Understanding extinction and diversification (radiation) as drivers of change.
Recognizing what we can do to reduce the risk of a ‘sixth extinction’.
要了解的详细信息
作业
10 项作业
授课语言:英语(English)
了解顶级公司的员工如何掌握热门技能

该课程共有5个模块
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KG
已于 Jan 28, 2026审阅
Great, informative, easy to follow, presented by an informed PhD working directly in the field.
FS
已于 Mar 2, 2026审阅
Excellent and informative from an ecological point of view.



