Question

Number the ideas about extinction to show the chronological order in which they were popular, with 1 being the first idea about extinction up to 5 being the most recent idea: There are no catastrophes in the history of life on Earth. Each species goes extinct at its own time, the result of its struggle for existence with new, more improved. All species have existed forever, and all still exist. There was a terrible catastrophe at the end of the Cretaceous period, 65 million years ago. The iridium layer, shocked quartz, and the Chicxulub crater in the Gulf of Mexico shows that a massive asteroid hit the Earth, resulting in the extinction of 3 of plant and animal species over a relatively short period of time. Life on Earth has a history. Species go extinct, the result of terrible catastrophes. At first, only a few extinct species were known, and only a few catastrophes needed to have occurred to cause these extinctions. However, over time more and more extinct species were discovered, requiring more and more catastrophes until just too many catastrophes were needed to explain the fossil record. Conditions on Earth usually change slowly, but once in a while catastrophes do occur. These catastrophes, although rare, are extremely important because they determine the pattern of life on Earth.

Answer 1

The chronological order of extinction ideas starts with the belief that all species have always existed and none have gone extinct, followed by the recognition of extinctions due to catastrophes, then a denial of catastrophic history, followed by an understanding that occasional catastrophes influence life's pattern on Earth, and culminating with the evidence of large-scale extinction events such as the asteroid impact 65 million years ago.

Step-by-step explanation:

To number the ideas about extinction and show the chronological order in which they were popular:

1. All species have existed forever, and all still exist.
2. Life on Earth has a history. Species go extinct, the result of terrible catastrophes.
3. There are no catastrophes in the history of life on Earth.
4. Conditions on Earth usually change slowly, but once in a while catastrophes do occur.
5. The iridium layer, shocked quartz, and the Chicxulub crater in the Gulf of Mexico show that a massive asteroid hit the Earth, resulting in the extinction of many plant and animal species over a relatively short period.

Throughout Earth's history, mass extinctions have been landmarks of vast biodiversity loss. The Cretaceous-Paleogene extinction event, marked by an asteroid impact, is one of the most studied events due to its significant impact on life, including dinosaurs. Recent scientific evidence points towards ongoing biodiversity decline, suggesting a sixth mass extinction driven by human activities.