Table 2. Elevation of “highly conservative” and “conservative” modern vertebrate extinction rates above background rate of 2 E/MSY (see table S2 for calculations).
For each assessment category, two periods are shown: extinction rates computed from 1500 to the present, and from 1900 to the present.
| Animal group |
Elevation of modern rates with respect to expected rates |
|||
| Highly conservative | Conservative | |||
| Since 1500 | Since 1900 | Since 1500 | Since 1900 | |
| Vertebrates | 8 | 22 | 15 | 53 |
| Mammals | 14 | 28 | 20 | 55 |
| Birds | 13 | 24 | 15 | 34 |
| Reptiles | 5 | 8 | 8 | 24 |
| Amphibians | 5 | 22 | 22 | 100 |
| Fishes | 5 | 23 | 12 | 56 |