<P> Coextinction refers to the loss of a species due to the extinction of another; for example, the extinction of parasitic insects following the loss of their hosts . Coextinction can also occur when a species loses its pollinator, or to predators in a food chain who lose their prey . "Species coextinction is a manifestation of the interconnectedness of organisms in complex ecosystems...While coextinction may not be the most important cause of species extinctions, it is certainly an insidious one". Coextinction is especially common when a keystone species goes extinct . Models suggest that coextinction is the most common form of biodiversity loss . There may be a cascade of coextinction across the trophic levels . Such effects are most severe in mutualistic and parasitic relationships . An example of coextinction is the Haast's eagle and the moa: the Haast's eagle was a predator that became extinct because its food source became extinct . The moa were several species of flightless birds that were a food source for the Haast's eagle . </P> <P> Extinction as a result of climate change has been confirmed by fossil studies . Particularly, the extinction of amphibians during the Carboniferous Rainforest Collapse, 305 million years ago . A 2003 review across 14 biodiversity research centers predicted that, because of climate change, 15--37% of land species would be "committed to extinction" by 2050 . The ecologically rich areas that would potentially suffer the heaviest losses include the Cape Floristic Region, and the Caribbean Basin . These areas might see a doubling of present carbon dioxide levels and rising temperatures that could eliminate 56,000 plant and 3,700 animal species . Climate change has also been found to be a factor in habitat loss and desertification . </P> <P> There have been at least five mass extinctions in the history of life on earth, and four in the last 350 million years in which many species have disappeared in a relatively short period of geological time . A massive eruptive event is considered to be one likely cause of the "Permian--Triassic extinction event" about 250 million years ago, which is estimated to have killed 90% of species then existing . There is also evidence to suggest that this event was preceded by another mass extinction, known as Olson's Extinction . The Cretaceous--Paleogene extinction event (K - Pg) occurred 66 million years ago, at the end of the Cretaceous period, and is best known for having wiped out non-avian dinosaurs, among many other species . </P> <P> According to a 1998 survey of 400 biologists conducted by New York's American Museum of Natural History, nearly 70% believed that the Earth is currently in the early stages of a human - caused mass extinction, known as the Holocene extinction . In that survey, the same proportion of respondents agreed with the prediction that up to 20% of all living populations could become extinct within 30 years (by 2028). A 2014 special edition of Science declared there is widespread consensus on the issue of human - driven mass species extinctions . </P>

Discuss the factor responsible for the extinction of wildlife