Humans causing shrinking of nature as larger animals die off

Average size of wild animals predicted to fall by a quarter in 100 years through extinctions

Humanity's ongoing destruction of wildlife will lead to a shrinking of nature, with the average body size of animals falling by a quarter, a study predicts.

The researchers estimate that more than 1,000 larger species of mammals and birds will go extinct in the next century, from rhinos to eagles. They say this could lead to the collapse of ecosystems that humans rely on for food and clean water.