Biologists from the University of Victoria in Canada have identified the most voracious predator in the history of the Earth; it turned out to be the man.

According to scientists' calculations, man exploits more than a third of the vertebrate animals on Earth; 15 thousand species are used by humans as food, animal feed, as well as during experiments—for example, during the creation of medicines. The results of this research were published in the journal Communications Biology.

The problem is that the majority of animal killings are not caused by necessity, but by culture, the scientists stated.

Biologists noted that such human behavior not only leads to the destruction of some species of animals, but also negatively affects the survivors, causing them stress. Scientists call it the “ecology of fear.”

Scientists have explained that the unnatural selection of animals from the wild by humans can lead to a number of consequences for ecosystems.