[Lawtan]

Background extinction is a natural thing, but when the rate is both exponentially increasing and well above the norm, you are either in or approaching a Mass Extinction Event...which can reduce who/what survives to pure chance akin to repeatedly flipping a coin (and only those who come up all heads survive).

...which is what we've sort of done. Background extinction typically means "well, the other members of 'Homo' are gone, but survived by Homo sapiens which has a direct lineage to them."