Over the past half century, these species have been declared extinct or potentially extinct.
Since the early 21st century, although scientists have recorded countless new animal species, many other species have become extinct, and humans are a common factor in the extinction of species.
determines the number of disappearing species, with daily estimates ranging from 24 to 150, and nonetheless, the disappearance of each species is a serious obstacle to biodiversity . Let's take a look at some of the animals that have been declared extinct recently or have been extinct in the wild.
Pingta Island elephant tortoise
The last known flat tower giant tortoise is Lonely George, a symbol of the Galapagos Islands, and died in captivity on June 24, 2012.
Since then, an expedition has discovered some first-generation hybrid tortoises near Wolf volcano, another island in the Galapagos Islands of Ecuador. The use of tortoise as a food source for whalers on board in the 19th century, and the deforestation of imported goats led to the extinction of the species.
Gorgeous Poison Frog
Gorgeous Poison Frog was declared extinct in 2020, and the last record was in 1992. Researchers believe that the chytrid outbreak in their habitat in western central Cordillera, Panama, in 1996, and near Costa Rica, led to their extinction. In the wet lowlands and mountain forests where they live, deforestation and habitat degradation have weakened their power and reduced their population.
Because they were once widely kept as pets, it is still possible that living specimens are present in artificial feeding. Unfortunately, there are no known gorgeous poisonous frogs in the zoo or research collection.
Spix Macaw
Spix Macaw is unique to Brazilian , and the last time I saw it in the wild was in 2016. In 2019, it was declared extinct in the wild, and it was discovered by German naturalist John Baptist von Spix in the Brazilian outback and described it for the first time, but there are currently about 160 of these parrots in captivity.
In the 2011 animated film "Rio de Janeiro", an animal named Blu became the focus of people's attention. Unfortunately, illegal pet trade is an important factor in the extinction of this bird in the wild, and habitat loss is also one of the causes. The hope that the species can continue lies in the captive breeding program, which aims to reintroduce the birds into the wild.
Pyrenees goat
Pyrenees goat is one of the two extinct subspecies of Spanish goats. It was declared extinction in 2000, although the causes of its extinction are still unknown, with some assumptions including poaching, disease and the inability to compete with other species for food.
This species was once common in France and Spain, but by the beginning of the 20th century, its population had dropped to less than 100. On January 6, 2000, the last Pyrenees wild goat was found in northern Spain, a female wild goat named Celia . It was identified that it was killed by a fallen tree.
Scientists took out skin cells from sheep ears and stored them in liquid nitrogen . In 2003, a sheep was cloned and became the first "unextinct" species. However, clone sheep died of lung defects after 7 minutes. Subsequent efforts failed to produce another clone, but studies examining DNA viability continue.
Coral naked-tailed rat
In May 2015, World Union for Conservation of Nature announced the extinction of coral naked-tailed rats. Four years later, in 2019, the Australian government announced its extinction. The last time the coral naked-tailed rat appeared was at the tiny coral island Blackberry Reef in 2009, the only place in the world where such small rodents live. When scientists arrived on the island in 2011 and 2014, hoping to capture some species to obtain "captive insurance populations", no species were found. It seems that even the tissue samples that biologists once collected are lost.
Queensland government said this is the first time that a recorded mammal extinction caused by anthropogenic climate change has been recorded. Due to sea level rise , habitats, especially island vegetation is lost. In addition, analysis conducted by Queensland government scientists showed that storm surge also caused some animals to be drowned.
Western black rhino
The rarest black rhino subspecies, the western black rhino was recognized as an extinct species by the World Union for Conservation of Nature in 2011. The species was once widely distributed in central Africa, but its population began to drop sharply due to poaching.
In 2008, the rhino was listed as a critically endangered species, but surveys of the only remaining habitat of the animal in Cameroon northern part found it - there was no sign of its existence. No West African black rhino is in captivity yet. All rhinos are in trouble, although things seem to improve as the number of black rhinos continues to increase in the east.
Mole Viviparous Tree Snail
Mole Viviparous Tree Snail was declared extinct in the wild in 2009. This extinction was caused by a series of events caused by humans.
African snail was introduced to Tahiti as a food source in 1967, but the plan went against its expectations as it ran away and began to destroy crops. Biologists later tried to control the snail in 1977 by introducing a predator, the Rose Wolf Snail. The Rose Wolf Snail then wiped out local snails, including the Moor Viviparous Tree Snail. This and other species of Polynesian tree snails are now only found in captivity populations.
reintroduction shows that these snails can breed in the wild, but the rose wolf snail population continues to prey on them.
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In 1973, college students participating in the Hana Rainforest Project recorded this bird for the first time, feeding on spiders, insects, beetles, , butterfly larvae and snails. At that time, its population was estimated to be only about 200.
One of the three known birds found in 1998 died while in captivity in 2004, and since that year, the efforts to find the remaining two have been fruitless. Habitat destruction, rapid spread of disease-carrying mosquitoes, predation of invasive species, and its favorite snails are the main causes of its extinction.
white-fin dolphin
Chinese baijidolphin , or Yangtze River porpoise, is listed as a critically endangered species and may become extinct. In 2006, scientists from the Baiji Dolphin Foundation swam more than 2,000 miles upstream of the Yangtze River with optical instruments and underwater microphones, but failed to find any surviving dolphin . The foundation published a report on the expedition and announced that the animal functionally extinct , meaning there are too few potential breeding partners to ensure the survival of the species.
The last recorded sighting was in 2002. The decline in the number of Baiji dolphins is caused by a variety of factors, including overfishing, ship traffic, habitat loss, pollution and poaching. This animal has lived in the Yangtze River for 20 million years, but has become extinct due to human activities in less than 50 years.
Dongfeng
HawaiiMaoiDongfeng is a native of MaoiHongfeng . It was listed as critically endangered and may be extinct in 2018. Recent recordings have given people some hope that some birds may survive.
Like other Hawaiian forest birds, habitat loss, competition from alien species and disease have caused it to disappear. Researchers blamed the extinction of Maui banana to the introduction of mosquito-borne avian influenza .
Derman slutch
Derman slutch was declared extinct in 2010, although it may have been extinct many years ago.Scientists are reluctant to exterminate the bird too early because it lives in a remote area called Lake Alautra. A thorough investigation of the region in 1989, 2004 and 2009 found no evidence of the species, and the last confirmed sighting was in 1982.
In the 20th century, due to habitat destruction and the few surviving birds began to mate with tiny trellis , forming a hybrid species, and the number of trellis trellis began to decline. Given the limited range of motion and lack of flexibility, scientists declared it extinct. Today, there is only one photo of a wild derma pilos.
Why are so many animals endangered?
As of 2022, more than 16,000 of the about 41,000 animal and plant species evaluated by the IUCN have been declared endangered. Experts say animals are extinct at a historical rate, mainly due to human intervention. The increase in population has led to increased demand for food, development and deforestation, growing pollution problems, overfishing and overhunting, and more. Current estimates show that species are extinct at 1,000 times faster than before humans appeared.
