Timeline of extinctions

This timeline of extinctions is an historical account of species that have gone extinct during the time that modern humans have occupied the earth.

The following is a selective list made by sampling a very small proportion of some of the well-known extinct species in the recent history. For a more elaborate list see List of extinct animals. Also see Holocene extinction for more information.

10th millennium BCE

Circa 9950 BCE - Cuvieronius humboldti survived in Chile until about this time.^[1]
Circa 9910 BCE - The long-nosed peccary survived in Ohio until about this time.^[1]
Circa 9740 BCE - Hemiauchenia macrocephala survived until about this time.^[2]
Circa 9715 BCE - Macrauchenia survived in Chile until about this time.^[1]
Circa 9680 BCE - Euceratherium collinum survived in Utah until about this time.^[1]
Circa 9650 BCE - Arctotherium tarijense survived in Uruguay until about this time.^[1]
Circa 9550 BCE - Stock's pronghorn survived until about this time.^[3]
Circa 9530 BCE - The short-faced bear survived in Ohio until about this time.^[1]
Circa 9400 BCE - The Corsican and Sardinian canid Cynotherium sardous survived until about this time.^[4]
Circa 9390 BCE - Eremotherium laurillardi survived in Brazil until about this time.^[1]
Circa 9380 BCE - Equus conversidens survived in Alberta until about this time.^[1]
Circa 9220 BCE - Capromeryx minor and Equus scotti survived until about this time.^[2]
Circa 9180 BCE - Bison antiquus survived in Alberta until about this time.^[1]
Circa 9135 BCE - Panthera onca mesembrina survived until about this time.^[1]
Circa 9110 BCE - The flat-headed peccary survived in Ohio until about this time.^[1]
Circa 9090 BCE - Glyptodon, Scelidotherium, Stegomastodon, and Toxodon survived in Brazil until about this time.^[3]
Circa 9080 BCE - The pygmy mammoth survived on Santa Rosa Island until about this time.^[1]
Circa 9030 BCE - Bootherium bombifrons survived in Alberta until about this time.^[1]

9th millennium BCE

Circa 8920 BCE - Oreamnos harringtoni survived in Arizona until about this time.^[1]
Circa 8760 BCE - The Columbian mammoth survived in South Dakota until about this time.^[1]
Circa 8735 BCE - Hippidion saldiasi survived in Chile until about this time.^[1]
Circa 8420 BCE - Camelops hesternus, Martes nobilis and Panthera leo atrox survived until about this time.^[2]
Circa 8280 BCE - Cervalces scotti survived until about this time.^[2]

8th millennium BCE

Circa 7950 BCE - Nothrotheriops shastensis survived until about this time.^[2]
Circa 7930 BCE - Glossotherium floridanum, Holmesina septentrionalis, Mammut americanum, Tapirus veroensis and Palaeolama mirifica survived until about this time.^[2]
Circa 7630 BCE - The sloth Catonyx cuvieri survived in Brazil until about this time.^[1]^[4]
Circa 7600 BCE - Castoroides ohioensis and Mylohyus nasutus survived until about this time.^[2]
Circa 7490 BCE - Canis dirus and Megalonyx jeffersonii survived until about this time.^[2]
Circa 7470 BCE - The Cyprus dwarf elephant became extinct around this time.^[4]
Circa 7460 BCE - Smilodon fatalis survived until about this time.^[2]
Circa 7290 BCE - The Cyprus dwarf hippopotamus became extinct at about this time.^[4]
Circa 7180 BCE - Smilodon populator survived in Brazil until about this time.^[4]

7th millennium BCE

Circa 6960 BCE - Scelidodon chiliensis survived in Peru until about this time.^[4]
Circa 6910 BCE - The primitive bison survived in the Taymyr Peninsula until this time.^[4]
Circa 6730 BCE - Equus santaelenae survived in Ecuador until about this time.^[4]
Circa 6720 BCE - Ochotona whartoni survived in eastern North America until about this time.^[4]
Circa 6689 BCE - Mylodon survived in Chile until about this time.^[3]
Circa 6050 BCE - Megalotragus priscus survived in South Africa until about this time.^[4]

6th millennium BCE

Circa 5620 BCE - Antidorcas bondi survived in South Africa until about this time.^[4]
Circa 5370 BCE - Megatherium americanum survived in Argentina until about this time.^[4]
Circa 5020 BCE - The Sardinian giant deer Praemegaceros cazioti survived until about this time.^[4]

5th millennium BCE

Circa 4950 BCE - Dactylopsila kambuaya and Petauroides ayamaruensis survived in New Guinea until about this time.^[4]
Circa 4866 BCE - Irish elk survived in the Urals and western Siberia until this time.^[4]
Circa 4605 BCE - The glyptodont Doedicurus clavicaudatus survived in Argentina until about this time.^[4]

4th millennium BCE

Circa 3010 BCE - Parocnus browni survived on Hispaniola until about this time.^[4]

3rd millennium BCE

Cape lion

Circa 2915 BCE - The canid Dusicyon avus survived in Argentina until about this time.^[4]
Circa 2835 BCE - The Balearic cave goat became extinct around this time.^[4]
Circa 2765 BCE - The North African buffalo Pelorovis antiquus survived until about this time. Its extinction may have been caused by competition for food and water with domestic cattle.^[4]
Circa 2550 BCE - The Bennu heron became extinct around this time, possibly due to degradation of its wetland habitat. It was last recorded in the Arabian Peninsula.^[4]
Circa 2240 BCE - The sloth Megalocnus rodens survived in Cuba until about this time.^[4]

2nd millennium BCE

Circa 1900 BCE - Antillothrix bernensis survived on Hispaniola until about this time.^[4]
Circa 1780 BCE - The last known population of woolly mammoths on Wrangel Island died out, possibly due to a combination of climate change and hunting.^[1]^[4]^[5]
Circa 1562 BCE - The rodent Elasmodontomys obliquus survived in Puerto Rico until about this time.^[4]
Circa 1380 BCE - Acratocnus odontrigonus, formerly inhabiting Puerto Rico and Antigua, survived until about this time.^[4]
Circa 1300 BCE - Thylogale christenseni survived in New Guinea until about this time.^[4]

1st millennium BCE

Circa 530 BCE - Microgale macpheei survived in Madagascar until about this time.^[4]
Circa 450 BCE - Crocidura balsamifera survived in Egypt until about this time.^[4]
Circa 341 BCE - Archaeoindris fontoynonti survived in Madagascar until about this time.^[4]
Circa 110 BCE - Archaeolemur edwardsi survived in Madagascar until about this time.^[4]
Circa 100 BCE - Syrian elephant becomes extinct due to overhunting for ivory.

1st millennium CE

Circa 256 - Mesopropithecus globiceps survived in Madagascar until about this time.^[4]
Circa 450 - The turtle genus Meiolania survived until this time on New Caledonia.^[6]
Circa 537 - Hadropithecus stenognathus survived in Madagascar until about this time.^[4]
Circa 540 - Mesopropithecus pithecoides survived in Madagascar until about this time.^[4]
Circa 730 - Pachylemur insignis survived in Madagascar until about this time.^[4]
Circa 885 - Daubentonia robusta survived in Madagascar until about this time.^[4]
Circa 915 - Plesiorycteropus survived in Madagascar until about this time.^[3]

2nd millennium CE

11th century

Circa 1000 - Extinction of four species of moa-nalo on the Hawaiian Islands. The moa-nalo were large ducks and the island's major herbivores.

14th century

Circa 1320 - The lemur Megaladapis edwardsi survived in Madagascar until about this time.^[4]
Circa 1360 - Nesophontes survived in Cuba until around this time.^[1]

15th century

Circa 1440 - The lemur Palaeopropithecus ingens survived in Madagascar until about this time.^[4]
The moas of New Zealand became extinct, probably due to hunting.^[5]

16th century

Circa 1500 - 1550 - The Waitaha penguin of South Island became extinct.^[7]
New Zealand's Haast's eagle, a giant bird of prey, becomes extinct. The eagle's main prey was the moa, which went extinct in the 15th century. Debate looms as to if the Haast's eagle went extinct in the 15th or 16th century.

17th century

1627 - The last known aurochs died in Poland. This large wild cattle formerly inhabited much of Europe, northern Africa, the Middle East, central Asia, and India.^[8]

Circa 1660 - The Giant vampire bat survived in Argentina until about this time.^[4]

1662 - The last definite sighting of a Mauritius dodo was made.^[5] The extinction was due to hunting, but also by the pigs, rats, dogs and cats brought to the island by settlers. The species has become an iconic symbol of animal extinction.^[9]
The moa was one of the largest birds that ever existed.

The elephant bird Aepyornis maximus was last recorded around the end of the 17th century.^[7]

18th century

1768 - Steller's sea cow became extinct due to overhunting for meat and leather.^[4]^[10]

1773 - The Tahiti sandpiper died out after rats were introduced to its habitat in the Society Islands.^[11]
1774 - The Sardinian pika became extinct due to invasive species (foxes, cats, etc.) that were introduced to Sardinia and Corsica. Also this species is considered as a delicacy. However, unconfirmed sightings persist to this day.
1777 - The Society parakeet population dies out on the Society Islands after vessels released pests.

1788 - Also known as the white gallinule, the Lord Howe swamphen becomes extinct

19th century

1800 - The last known Bluebuck was shot, making the species the first African antelope to be hunted to extinction by European settlers.^[12]

1825 - The mysterious starling died out.

1826 - The Mauritius blue pigeon becomes extinct due to excessive hunting.

1827 - The Tonga ground skink dies out from its only home in the Tongan Islands.

Quagga

1852 - The last sighting of a great auk was made off the coast of Newfoundland. The bird was driven to extinction by hunting for its fat, feathers, meat, and oil.^[5]^[13]

1860 - The string tree from the island of St Helena becomes extinct because of habitat destruction.
1860 - The sea mink becomes extinct because of hunting for its fur.

1875 - The broad-faced potoroo was last recorded.^[4]

1876 - The Falkland Islands wolf became extinct.^[4]
1878 - Labrador duck declared extinct after last appearances in Long Island three years earlier.

1883 - The Quagga, a sub-species of the plains zebra, goes extinct.

1886 - The red alga known as Bennett's Seaweed from Australia disappears because of the massive human activities.

1889 - The last Hokkaido wolf dies from poisoning campaign.^[14]

1890 - The eastern hare-wallaby was last recorded.^[4]

1890 - The last known Atlas bear, Africa's only native bear, is killed by hunters in Morocco. The bear was heavily hunted and used for sport in the Roman Empire.

1896 - The eastern elk, a subspecies of elk in the US and Canada, dies out in Minnesota. They were over-hunted for food, clothing, sport and decoration for the Jolly Corkers who used their teeth as symbols.

20th century

1900s

1901 - The last certain specimen of the Australian pig-footed bandicoot is collected.

1905 - The last known Honshū wolf of Japan dies in the Nara Prefecture

1910s

1910 - The Usambara annone from Tanzania no longer grows in the tropical forests.

1911 - The last Newfoundland wolf was shot.^[14]

1914 - The last passenger pigeon died in captivity at the Cincinnati Zoo. Excessive hunting contributed to the extinction of the North American species, which was formerly one of the world's most abundant birds.^[15]

1918 - The last Carolina parakeet died in captivity at the Cincinnati Zoo. The bird, formerly inhabiting the southeastern United States, was driven to extinction by exploitation, deforestation, and competition with introduced bees.^[16]
- The last Tarpan, a Ukrainian wild horse, dies in captivity.
The Thylacine was exterminated into extinction.

1920s

1925 - The Kenai Peninsula wolf was driven to extinction.^[14]

1930s

1930 - Darwin's rice rat was last recorded in the Galápagos Islands. Its extinction was probably caused by the introduction of black rats.^[17]

1932 - "Booming Ben," the last known heath hen was seen on Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts.

1933 - The cry pansy from Europe becomes extinct due to habitat loss and overcollection in the only place where it grew, France.

1934 - The indefatigable Galapagos mouse becomes extinct four years after Darwin's rice rat on the same island.

1935 - The desert rat-kangaroo was last recorded.^[4]

1935 - The Mogollon mountain wolf and the Southern Rocky Mountains wolf were hunted to extinction.^[14]

1936 - The last thylacine died in captivity. Hunting, habitat loss, disease, and competition from domestic dogs all may have contributed to the extinction of the species.^[18]

1937 - The last known Bali tiger was shot.

1938 - Radula visiniaca, a liverwort native to Europe becomes extinct.

1939 - The Toolache wallaby was last recorded.^[4]

The great auk was hunted for its down until its extinction around 1844.

1940s

1940 - The Cascade mountain wolf was hunted to extinction.^[14]

1942 - The Texas wolf was purposefully driven to extinction.^[14]

1942 - The last confirmed sighting of the Barbary lion, although unconfirmed reports surfaced until 1970.^[19]

1950s

1952 - Last reliable report of the Caribbean monk seal.

1952 - The Bernard's wolf was hunted to extinction.^[14]

1956 - The crescent nail-tail wallaby was last recorded.^[4]

1960s

Circa 1960 - The last Mexican grizzly bear is shot.

1962 - The red-bellied gracile opossum was last recorded in Argentina.^[4]

1964 - The Hawaii chaff flower of the Hawaiian islands becomes extinct because of habitat loss.

1965 - Last sighting of the turgid-blossom pearly mussel, an American mussel.^[20]

1966 - The last Arabian ostrich died.

- Last sighting of the yellow-blossom pearlymussel, an American mussel.^[20]

1970s

Circa 1970 - The Caspian tiger becomes extinct. Nearly exterminated in the early 20th century the last of its population succumbed to deforestation and hunting.

1972 - The endemic to Jamaica Mason River myrtle becomes extinct.

Circa 1979 - Last sightings of the Javan tiger.

1980s

1981 - The Puhielelu hibiscadelphus becomes extinct.

1981 - Last sighting of the green-blossom pearlymussel, an American mussel.^[20]

- The 24-rayed sunstar (Heliaster solaris) likely becomes extinct due to climate change.^[21]

1985 - The gastric-brooding frog or platypus frog (Rheobatrachus silus) became extinct probably because of habitat destruction and disease

1989 - The golden toad of Costa Rica becomes extinct, perhaps because of climate change.

- The Atitlán grebe (Podilymbus gigas) dies out.

1990s

1990 - The dusky seaside sparrow was officially declared extinct in December 1990. The last definite known individual died on 17 June 1987.
1994 - Saint Croix racer, a snake native to the Virgin Islands, declared extinct.
- Levuana moth from Hawaii goes extinct.

1997 - The Hainan ormosia (a species of legume) which was native to China is no longer seen.

3rd millennium CE

21st century

2000s

2000 - "Celia", the last Pyrenean ibex, was found dead on 6 January 2000. However, in 2009, a female was cloned back into existence, but died 7 minutes later due to defects in the lungs, making it extinct once again.

2003 - The last individual from the St. Helena olive, which was grown in cultivation, dies off. The last plant in the wild had disappeared in 1994.

2006 - A technologically sophisticated survey of the Yangtze River failed to find specimens of the Baiji dolphin, prompting scientists to declare it functionally extinct.^[22]

2008 - The Liverpool pigeon (Caloenas maculata) is thought to have become extinct.

2010s

2010 - The Alaotra grebe (Tachybaptus rufolavatus) is declared extinct.

2011 - The eastern cougar was declared extinct.^[23]

2011 - The western black rhinoceros was hunted to extinction .^[24]

2012 - The Japanese river otter (Lutra lutra whiteneyi) has been declared extinct by the country’s Ministry of the Environment, after not being seen for more than 30 years.

2012 - "Lonesome George," the last known specimen of the Pinta Island tortoise died on 24 June 2012.

2013 - The Cape Verde giant skink, is declared extinct.

2013 - The Formosan clouded leopard, previously endemic to the island of Taiwan, is officially declared extinct.^[25]

2013 - The Scioto madtom, a species of fish is declared extinct.

2014 - Acalypha wilderi has been declared extinct.

2014 - The Bermuda saw-whet owl has been declared extinct.

References

↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8 1.9 1.10 1.11 1.12 1.13 1.14 1.15 1.16 1.17 1.18 Haynes, Gary (2009). American megafaunal extinctions at the end of the Pleistocene. Springer. pp. 27–31, 133, 152–153, 172. ISBN 1-4020-8792-6. Retrieved 2012-02-28.
↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 2.8 Kurtén, Björn; Anderson, Elaine (1980). Pleistocene mammals of North America. Columbia University Press. pp. 364–365. ISBN 0-231-03733-3. Retrieved 2012-02-29.
↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Martin, Paul S.; Klein, Richard G. (1989). Quaternary Extinctions: A Prehistoric Revolution. University of Arizona Press. pp. 52, 54–55, 64–65, 76, 82, 85. ISBN 0-231-03733-3. Retrieved 2014-07-10.
↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6 4.7 4.8 4.9 4.10 4.11 4.12 4.13 4.14 4.15 4.16 4.17 4.18 4.19 4.20 4.21 4.22 4.23 4.24 4.25 4.26 4.27 4.28 4.29 4.30 4.31 4.32 4.33 4.34 4.35 4.36 4.37 4.38 4.39 4.40 4.41 4.42 4.43 4.44 4.45 4.46 Turvey, Sam (2009). Holocene extinctions. Oxford University Press. pp. 20–33, 42–50, 352. ISBN 0-19-953509-4. Retrieved 2012-02-29.
↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 Adams, Jonathan; Adams, Jonathan S. (2009). Species richness: patterns in the diversity of life. Springer. pp. 239–255. ISBN 3-540-74277-8. Retrieved 2012-02-28.
↑ MacPhee, R. D. E. (1999). Extinctions in near time: causes, contexts, and consequences. Springer. p. 394. ISBN 0-306-46092-0. Retrieved 2012-02-29.
↑ 7.0 7.1 Hume, Julian P.; Walters, Michael (2012). Extinct Birds. A&C Black. p. 320. ISBN 1-4081-5862-0. Retrieved 2012-02-28.
↑ Tikhonov, A. 2008. "Bos primigenius". IUCN 2011. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2011.1. Downloaded on 9 October 2011.
↑ Raphus cucullatus at the Recently Extinct Animals website
↑ Domning, D., Anderson, P.K. & Turvey, S. (2008). "Hydrodamalis gigas". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2011.2. International Union for Conservation of Nature. Retrieved 10 July 2014.
↑ BirdLife International (2008). "Prosobonia leucoptera (Tahitian Sandpiper)". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2011.2. Retrieved 2012-2-29.
↑ IUCN SSC Antelope Specialist Group (2008). "Hippotragus leucophaeus (Bluebuck, Blue Buck)". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2011.2. Retrieved 2012-2-29.
↑ BirdLife International (2008). "Pinguinus impennis (Great Auk)". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2011.2. Retrieved 2012-2-29.
↑ 14.0 14.1 14.2 14.3 14.4 14.5 14.6 http://www.wolfhowl.org/subspecies.php
↑ BirdLife International (2012). "Ectopistes migratorius". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2013.2. International Union for Conservation of Nature. Retrieved 26 November 2013.
↑ BirdLife International (2012). "Conuropsis carolinensis". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2013.2. International Union for Conservation of Nature. Retrieved 26 November 2013.
↑ Tirira, D., Dowler, R., Boada, C. & Weksler, M. (2008). "Nesoryzomys darwini". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2011.1. Retrieved 10-10-2011.
↑ M. McKnight (2008). "Thylacinus cynocephalus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2011.2. International Union for Conservation of Nature. Retrieved 23 July 2010.
↑ "Examining the Extinction of the Barbary Lion and Its Implications for Felid Conservation". PLOS ONE. Retrieved 3 April 2013.
↑ 20.0 20.1 20.2 "Three American mussel species go extinct". mongabay.com. 2008-08-10. Retrieved 2010-01-04.
↑ "Extinctions on the rise in the Galapagos: fishing and global warming devastating islands' species". mongabay.com. 2009-12-03. Retrieved 2010-01-04.
↑ "Lipotes vexillifer". IUCN Red List. February 2012. Retrieved 2013-02-06.
↑ "Eastern cougar declared extinct, confirming decades of suspicion". CNN. 2011-03-02. Retrieved 2011-11-14.
↑ Boettcher, Daniel (2011-10-11). "Western black rhino declared extinct". BBC.
↑ "Clouded leopards declared extinct in Taiwan". Tree Hugger. 6 May 2013.

Extinction

Phenomena	Background extinction rate Coextinction Ecological extinction Extinction debt Genetic pollution Lazarus taxon Local extinction Pseudoextinction

Models	Extinction vortex

Causes	Genetic erosion Habitat destruction Human overpopulation Muller's ratchet Mutational meltdown Overexploitation

Theories and concepts	De-extinction Hypothetical species Extinction risk from global warming

Extinction events	Timeline of extinctions Cretaceous–Paleogene Triassic–Jurassic Permian–Triassic Late Devonian Ordovician–Silurian Holocene Quaternary

Extinct species	Lists of extinct species List of extinct plants IUCN Red List extinct species

Organizations	International Union for Conservation of Nature IUCN Species Survival Commission

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