Extinction vortex
class of models about – and observed phenomena of – the dynamics of extinctions of species
Extinction vortices are types of extinction causing the population dynamics to "spiral" in a feedback loop, i.e., for small populations to become increasingly vulnerable as they reduce in size. M. E. Gilpin and M. E. Soulé distinguished between four classes of extinction vortices. The first two (R and D) deal with environmental factors that have an effect on the ecosystem or community level, such as disturbance, pollution, habitat loss etc. The second two (F and A) deal with genetic factors such as inbreeding depression and outbreeding depression, genetic drift etc.
This concept helps conservation biologists, geneticists and ecologists to understand extinction events.
Types of vortices
Some vortices act rapidly, while others involve slower events on the timescale of the fixation of mutations.
Short-term vortices
R Vortex: The R vortex is initiated when there is a disturbance which facilitates a lowering of population size (N) and a corresponding increase in variability (Var(r)), representing standing genetic variation. This event can make populations vulnerable to additional disturbances which will lead to further decreases in population size (N) and further increases in variability (Var(r)). A prime example of this would be the disruption of sex ratios in a population away from the species optimum.
D Vortex: The D vortex is initiated when population size (N) decreases and the population becomes "patchy" or fragmented.
This brief starts where responsible research should: with the source description of “Extinction vortex” as class of models about – and observed phenomena of – the dynamics of extinctions of species. Everything that follows is an evidence route, not borrowed authority.
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The subject matters to the science & nature register because the source frames it as class of models about – and observed phenomena of – the dynamics of extinctions of species. Its deeper value depends on whether names, dates, institutions and citations support that framing.
The date and method of observation matter as much as the stated conclusion, especially where classification or consensus has changed. The source revision retrieved here is dated Jun 19, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q853530. None of the 0 selected statements returned an explicit reference.
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This entry incorporates text from “Extinction vortex” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.