Since 1500, over 320 terrestrial vertebrates have gone extinct and the remaining species have experienced a 25 percent average decline in population. Invertebrate animal life is also facing a crisis, with human activity being the primary cause of what researchers are calling 'Anthropocene defaunation'. Large animals like elephants and polar bears are at the highest risk of decline, with rodents and disease-carrying ectoparasites thriving in areas with high human population density. In the past 35 years, the human population has doubled while invertebrate animal populations have decreased by 45 percent, primarily due to habitat loss and climate change. These losses could have far-reaching effects on human health and well-being. Dirzo proposed that it would be beneficial to promptly decrease rates of habitat change and overexploitation, but these strategies should be customized to specific regions and circumstances. He emphasized that extinction is not just about the disappearance of a species, but also the loss of crucial ecosystem functions that animals contribute to. This study was published in the journal Science.