The Woolly Mammoth The Saber Tooth Tiger Tyrannosaurus

The Woolly Mammoth

The Saber Tooth Tiger

Tyrannosaurus rex

The Megalodon

Australopithecus afarensis (“Lucy”)

§ None of these species are found on Earth today what happened to these species? § Why would an entire species disappear? § How could an entire species disappear?

Obviously, species change over time. They come and they go. § Where do new species come from? § Why do some species disappear?

How many species are there today? § Unknown for certain. But it is estimated that there as many as 1. 8 million (1, 800, 000) that have been discovered or identified so far.

How many species MIGHT there be on Earth today? § Unknown for certain. But the lowest estimate is at least 3 million (3, 000) species. § But some scientists believe it could be as high as 200 MILLION (200, 000) species!

Think about it…. § Remember, the earth is 4. 6 billion years old, and life has been around at least 3. 5 billion of those years. § So how many different species have EVER existed on Earth, starting with the first simplest archaebacteria? ? ?

Extinction is natural! § It is estimated that 98% of all species have gone to extinction. § There have been at least FIVE major episodes of massive extinctions in earth’s history, including the dinosaur extinction.

The Theory of Evolution. § What EVIDENCE is there of evolution? § How can we know? § What can cause new species to arise?