dohboi wrote:Does that double the recovery time?
Like most things in nature, its more an ex & log exercise, not a straight multiple. The tails of those look largely the same regardless of what linear factor you apply to them. So you can basically expect that as the number of species remaining drops, the ratio of possible survival nitches to number of species improves, thus lowering the pressure of the extinction event as it proceeds. Once the event is over, you have a long period where very few species are producing a huge amount of biomass, and from their differentiation proceeds over time.
We're currently on the part of the curve where the linear factors are noticeable, but don't give them more potency than they rate.
One should also remember, that the climate phase the Earth is headed towards is nothing unprecedented, its spent millions of years in just such hot-phases, with tons of life romping around enjoying the climate. (none of the rompers being primates might however, give one pause, I doubt Gaea gives a flip, but this writer might).