Sep 6, 2017
International research powerhouses join forces to advance study of life on Earth
Living Earth Collaborative brings together Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri Botanical Garden and Saint Louis Zoo; Harvard researcher Jonathan Losos returns to WashU faculty to direct effort
By Julie Hail Flory
In less than half a century, global populations of fish, birds, mammals, amphibians and reptiles have declined to less than half their size. One in five of the plant species on earth is currently threatened with extinction in the wild, putting supplies of food and medicines at risk. And some scientists believe a sixth mass extinction event is underway on Earth, triggering the largest loss of species since an asteroid slammed into the planet 66 million years ago, wiping out the dinosaurs and many other species.
If the statistics sound dire, that’s because they are. The situation is urgent and scientists say there’s no time to lose if they are going to try to reverse the cycle of loss and save Earth’s remaining species.
With this imperative in mind, internationally renowned biologist Jonathan Losos is coming from Harvard University to Washington University in St. Louis to lead the newly created Living Earth Collaborative. In establishing the collaborative, the university is joining forces with two of the nation’s leading institutions in the study and preservation of plants and animals — the Missouri Botanical Garden and the Saint Louis Zoo — to create a new academic center dedicated to advancing the study of biodiversity to help ensure the future of Earth’s species in their many forms.
Read entire article at The Source.