Holocene Extinction
10 thousand years hence
The impact that humans had on the Earth's biosphere was swift and severe from a geologic standpoint. Pollution, climate change, overharvesting and habitat destruction put immense pressure on many species. As the dominant growth mindset saw no reason to stop, eventually extraction of resources reached a tipping point, and ecosytems began to collapse. It became clear that high-tech civilization could not sustain themselves anymore; a lucky few were able to escape into space, leaving the rest to face disease, war, and societal collapse. The last human populations to remain this far in the future live low-technology, hunter-gathering lifestyles, surviving as best they can. But soon, even these will go extinct, due to the same natural causes that have claimed the majority of species to have ever evolved.
By 10,000 years in the future, temperatures have risen substantially, reaching a peak of six degrees hotter than today - a result of massive greenhouse gas emissions over a short period of time. Sea levels are also ten feet higher than today. By the beginning of the Epigene, almost 60% of all species had gone extinct since the start of the Holocene. Large mammals have suffered heavy losses, with many charismatic megafauna having gone extinct. Amphibians were hit particularly hard, facing 90% extinction. Fish and insects have also taken hits in diversity, and corals have been devastated, with only a few deep-sea corals surviving.
But not all is lost. Although many species have gone extinct, many larger lineages have survived in some form. Feral equivalents of many animals humans have domesticated, including dogs, cats, pigs, chickens, cattle, and horses made it through. Animals that could adapt and live alongside people have also made it through. Common bird lineages, such as pigeons, songbirds, parrots, and owls have also made it through. With the disappearance of humanity, earth is now able to reach a new natural balance, and evolution can continue on.
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