The new study, published in the Nature Communications journal, states that the world is currently facing its sixth mass extinction, with newly-evolving species being targeted to worsen biodiversity.

The study states: “These common trends observed in the fossil record have the potential to inform modern conservation efforts, given that the current biodiversity crisis is acknowledged as representing another mass extinction event.”

Previous mass extinctions have targeted newly evolving species which has severely limited the differentiation in animals.

Biodiversity refers to the differentiation between species, of species and across different animal ecosystems.