Is extinction normal

Extinction is an intrinsic part of the evolution of new species, and is a direct consequence of the forces of natural selection. However, unlike the divergence of species (a process called speciation), one or more species can go extinct at variable rates. For example, marsupial mammals disappeared (from the larger continents)over a long period of time as they lost out to placental mammals. However, most species today disappear at alarmingly rapid rates because of the loss of their habitat.