Animal extinction poses a serious threat to humanity according to many biologists. An estimated 1.5 million species have gone extinct, with current extinction rates being between 2.7 to 270 species lost per day. Half of all plant and animal species may be extinct by 2100 if current practices continue. The main causes of extinction are habitat loss, pollution, climate change, and overhunting. While extinction is a natural phenomenon, human activities have greatly accelerated extinction rates in recent centuries.