Biodiversity and the fossil record

[David H Goodwin <wesley@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Greetings all.  I was recently involved in an interesting debate 
regarding biodiversity.  Many students were lamenting the current state 
of declining biodiversity.  I mentioned that in an abstract way human 
perturbations of the Earth's ecosystems are akin to other stochastic 
processes, ie. Boloid impacts, climate change and sea level fluctuations. 
I was not advocating a suicidal mindset where we do not concern ourselves 
with environmental/ecological problems.  

However, as paleontologists we have perhaps the greatest insight 
into the implications of decreasing biodiversity.  

So here is the question for you to kick around:  Based on our knowledge
of mass extinctions and recoveries -life has always managed to recover, 
including the big one (Permian/Triassic)- how concerned is the 
paleontological community regarding the current 'mass extinction'?  

David Goodwin
MS Student
University of Montana