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General Science => General Science => Topic started by: tweener on 08/06/2004 21:02:27

Title: Total number of species that have existed on Earth
Post by: tweener on 08/06/2004 21:02:27
Does anyone have an estimate of the total number of species that have existed on the earth, including those that are extinct?

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John - The Eternal Pessimist.
Title: Re: Total number of species that have existed on Earth
Post by: OldMan on 09/06/2004 04:01:16
I started trying to count but ran out of fingers and toes quickly

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A prism with an intellect, you throw your light selectively.
Title: Re: Total number of species that have existed on Earth
Post by: Kryptid on 09/06/2004 05:32:54
I once read that there are over 1 million known animal species and over 300,000 plant species. I don't know if that includes extinct creatures or not. I don't know how many species of protists or monerans there are. I would wager that there have been over 10 million species on this planet.
Title: Re: Total number of species that have existed on Earth
Post by: Exodus on 09/06/2004 17:01:19
quote:
Originally posted by tweener

Does anyone have an estimate of the total number of species that have existed on the earth, including those that are extinct?

----
John - The Eternal Pessimist.


good luck on that one! lol!
Title: Re: Total number of species that have existed on Earth
Post by: OmnipotentOne on 09/06/2004 21:15:21
The only thing i know on that topic is that that majority of all species live in the water.



I love critisism!
Title: Re: Total number of species that have existed on Earth
Post by: qpan on 10/06/2004 02:34:17
Are you sure about only 10 million species? Insects currently on this planet make up 4-6 million species!

And remember - in terms of mass, there is more bacteria on this planet than the mass of all the humans put together- so i'd be willing to bet that there are a lot more than 10 million species - as bacteria make up another 6+ million species! I'd say about 15 million species which are on this planet now, and many more millions beofre us humans even arrived on this here blue planet!

"I have great faith in fools; self-confidence my friends call it."
-Edgar Allan Poe
Title: Re: Total number of species that have existed on Earth
Post by: qpan on 10/06/2004 02:35:47
quote:
Originally posted by OmnipotentOne

The only thing i know on that topic is that that majority of all species live in the water.



I love critisism!


I dunno- apparently, there are "only" two million species of bacteria in water, whereas there are an estimated 4 million species in ur average tonne of garden soil!

"I have great faith in fools; self-confidence my friends call it."
-Edgar Allan Poe
Title: Re: Total number of species that have existed on Earth
Post by: OmnipotentOne on 11/06/2004 03:55:37
Hmm i forgot about that little known thing called basteria.  If theres that many in the dirt, then I must be devouring millions when i go to Mcdonalds!



To see the world through a grain of sand.
Title: Re: Total number of species that have existed on Earth
Post by: neilep on 11/06/2004 22:43:33
Me reckons there's a bunch of species living in my gut, my intestine, my mouth....my everything.........at least I'm not alone :-)

'Men are the same as women...just inside out !'  (https://www.thenakedscientists.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.world-of-smilies.de%2Fhtml%2Fimages%2Fsmilies%2Flove%2Fknuddel.gif&hash=4a2eca194a2a4fc81a1233644b68332f)