Timeline of extinctions in the Holocene
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This article is a list of biological species, subspecies, and evolutionary significant units that are known to have become extinct during the Holocene, the current geologic epoch, ordered by their known or approximate date of disappearance from oldest to most recent.
The Holocene is considered to have started with the Holocene glacial retreat around 11650 years Before Present ({{circa|9700}} BC). It is characterized by a general trend towards global warming, the expansion of anatomically modern humans (Homo sapiens) to all emerged land masses, the appearance of agriculture and animal husbandry, and a reduction in global biodiversity. The latter, dubbed the sixth mass extinction in Earth history, is largely attributed to increased human population and activity, and may have started already during the preceding Pleistocene epoch with the demise of the Pleistocene megafauna.
The following list is incomplete by necessity, since the majority of extinctions are thought to be undocumented, and for many others there isn't a definitive, widely accepted last, or most recent record. According to the species-area theory, the present rate of extinction may be up to 140,000 species per year.S.L. Pimm, G.J. Russell, J.L. Gittleman and T.M. Brooks, The Future of Biodiversity, Science 269: 347–350 (1995)
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10th millennium BC
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| Teratornis fossil.jpg|Mounted skeleton of Teratornis merriami.}}
9th millennium BC
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| Short Faced Bear FMNH.jpg|Mounted skeleton of a North American short-faced bear.}}
8th millennium BC
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| Columbian mammoth petroglyphs.jpg|Tracing of paleo-American petroglyphs depicting two Columbian mammoths and an ancient bison.}}
7th millennium BC
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| Glyptodon-1.jpg|Mounted skeleton of Glyptodon asper.}}
6th millennium BC
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| Em - Megatherium_americanum - 7.jpg|Mounted skeleton of Megatherium.}}
5th millennium BC
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| Megaloceros cougnac.svg|Tracings of male and female Irish elk cave art from Cougnac Caves.}}
4th millennium BC
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| File:Pelorovis antiquus rock art.jpg|Tracing of a petroglyph representing giant long-horned buffalo from North Africa.}}
3rd millennium BC
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| Steppe bison mummy.jpg|"Blue Babe", a mummy of a male Steppe bison discovered north of Fairbanks, Alaska in 1979.}}
2nd millennium BC
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| Grotte de Rouff mammut.jpg|Woolly mammoth cave art from Grotte de Rouff, depicting it alongside extant Alpine ibexes.}}
1st millennium BC
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| Prolagus skeleton SI.jpg|A Sardinian pika's mounted skeleton.}}
1st millennium CE
= 1st–5th centuries =
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| Roman bronze elephant Staatliche Antikensammlungen SL 50 2.jpg|Roman bronze statue of a war elephant, probably the North African elephant.}}
= 6th–10th centuries =
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| Malagasy_Hippopotamus.jpg|A Malagasy pygmy hippopotamus skeleton compared to a common hippopotamus skull.}}
class="wikitable sortable" |
style="width:13%;"|Last record
! style="width:22%;"|Common name ! style="width:22%;"|Binomial name !Former range !Causes |
---|
530-590
|Pulsatrix arredondoi |Cuba |Undetermined.Orihuela, J. (2019). An annotated list of Late Quaternary extinct birds of Cuba. Ornitología Neotropical, 30, 57-67. |
530-860
|Alopochen sirabensis |Madagascar |
535-876
|Hadropithecus stenognathus |Central and southern Madagascar |
586-670
|Voay robustus |Madagascar |Possibly overexploitation of eggs for consumption, environmental changes (natural or caused by human activity), and competition with the Nile crocodile.Hekkala, E., et al. Paleogenomics illuminates the evolutionary history of the extinct Holocene “horned” crocodile of Madagascar, Voay robustus (2021). Communications Biology, vol. 4, no 1, p. 1-11. |
c. 600
|Gallirallus gracilitibia |Ua Huka, Marquesas Islands |
600-765
|Mesopropithecus pithecoides |Central Madagascar |
650-780
|Archaeolemur majori |Madagascar |
650-869
|Porzana ziegleri |Oahu, Hawaii, United States |
664-773
|Aepyornis hildebrandti |Central Madagascar |
rowspan="2"|666-857Morgan, Gary S., et al. "Late Quaternary fossil mammals from the Cayman Islands, West Indies." Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 2019.428 (2019): 1-82.
|Geocapromys caymanensis |rowspan="2"|Cayman Islands |rowspan="2"|Undetermined. |
Cayman Islands nesophontes
|Nesophontes hemicingulus |
670-836
|Hippopotamus lemerlei |Southwestern MadagascarWilliams, E. (2017) Hippopotamus. Reaktion Books, 224 pages. |Deforestation, hunting, competition with, and changes to vegetation caused by livestock. |
680-880
|Mullerornis modestus |Central and southern Madagascar |
687-880
|Hippopotamus madagascariensis |Northwestern and central Madagascar |Deforestation, hunting, competition with, and changes to vegetation caused by livestock. |
rowspan="5"|700-1150
|Aplonis diluvialis |rowspan="5"|Huahine, Society Islands, French Polynesia |rowspan="2"|Undetermined. |
Huahine gull
|Chroicocephalus utunui |
Huahine rail
|Gallirallus storrsolsoni |
Huahine cuckoo-dove
|Macropygia arevarevauupa |Undetermined. |
Huahine swamphen
|Porphyrio mcnabi |
760
|Nesotrochis picapicensis |Cuba |rowspan="2"|Undetermined.{{Cite journal |last1=Kehlmaier |first1=Christian |last2=Graciá |first2=Eva |last3=Ali |first3=Jason R. |last4=Campbell |first4=Patrick D. |last5=Chapman |first5=Sandra D. |last6=Deepak |first6=V. |last7=Ihlow |first7=Flora |last8=Jalil |first8=Nour-Eddine |last9=Pierre-Huyet |first9=Laure |last10=Samonds |first10=Karen E. |last11=Vences |first11=Miguel |last12=Fritz |first12=Uwe |date=2023-01-13 |title=Ancient DNA elucidates the lost world of western Indian Ocean giant tortoises and reveals a new extinct species from Madagascar |journal=Science Advances |language=en |volume=9 |issue=2 |pages=eabq2574 |doi=10.1126/sciadv.abq2574 |issn=2375-2548 |pmc=9833658 |pmid=36630487}} |
761-954
| |rowspan="2"|Central and southern Madagascar |
771-952
|Vorombe titan |
772-870
|Heteropsomys insulans |Puerto Rico |
rowspan="2"|810-1025
|Vini sinotoi |Marquesas and Society Islands, French Polynesia |rowspan="2"|Hunting.Steadman, D., & Rolett, B. (1996). A chronostratigraphic analysis of landbird extinction on Tahuata, Marquesas Islands. Journal of Archaeological Science, 23(1), 81-94. |
Conquered lorikeet
|Vini vidivici |Marquesas, Society, and Cook Islands |
865-965
|Plesiorycteropus madagascariensis |Central and southern Madagascar |
c. 884
|Aldabrachelys grandidieri |Madagascar |
890-990
|Pachylemur insignis |Southwestern Madagascar |
c. 900
| |Kauai, Oahu, Molokai, and Maui, Hawaii, United States |
900-1150
|Daubentonia robusta |Southern Madagascar |Hunting, expansion of grasses and deforestation caused by domestic cattle and goat grazing. |
rowspan="3"|c. 950
|Peromyscus nesodytes |Channel Islands of California, United States |Possibly habitat loss through overgrazing and erosion.Ainis, A. F., & Vellanoweth, R. L. (2012). Expanding the chronology for the extinct giant island deer mouse (Peromyscus nesodytes) on San Miguel Island, California, USA. The Journal of Island and Coastal Archaeology, 7(1), 146-152. |
Nuku Hiva rail
|Gallirallus epulare |Nuku Hiva, Marquesas Islands |
Tahuata rail
|Gallirallus roletti |Tahuata, Marquesas Islands |
980-1170
|Megaladapis grandidieri |Madagascar |
2nd millennium CE
= 11th-12th century =
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| Olifantsvogel_25-11-2008_15-46-06.JPG|A skeleton of giant elephant bird (Aepyornis maximus) and its egg (right) compared to eggs of extant bird species.}}
= 13th-14th century =
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| File:Haast's eagle attacking moa at Te Papa.jpg|Model of Haast's eagle attacking a moa at Te Papa.}}
class="wikitable sortable" |
style="width:13%;"|Last record
! style="width:22%;"|Common name ! style="width:22%;"|Binomial name !Former range !Causes |
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rowspan="2"|c. 1200
|Aldabrachelys abrupta |Madagascar |
Ua Huka Booby
|Papasula abbotti costelloi |Marquesas Islands, French Polynesia |
1200-1600
|Nestor chathamensis |Chatham Islands, New Zealand |Probably hunting, deforestation, and predation by introduced Polynesian rats. |
1206-1427
|Megaladapis madagascariensis |Madagascar |
1234-1445
|Aptornis defossor |South Island, New Zealand |
1265-1400
|Nesophontes paramicrus |Hispaniola |
1270
|Malpaisomys insularis |Lanzarote and Fuerteventura, Canary Islands |Possibly disease spread by introduced rats.Rando, Juan Carlos, et al. "Chronology and causes of the extinction of the Lava Mouse, Malpaisomys insularis (Rodentia: Muridae) from the Canary Islands." Quaternary Research 70.2 (2008): 141-148. |
1278-1415
|Pachyornis geranoides |rowspan="2"|North Island, New Zealand |rowspan="2"|Hunting.Wood, J. R., and J. M. Wilmshurst. "Age of North Island giant moa (Dinornis novaezealandiae) bones found on the forest floor in the Ruahine Range." Journal of the Royal Society of New Zealand 43.4 (2013): 250-255. |
1286-1390
|Dinornis novaezelandiae |
1292-1630
|Hanyusuchus sinensis |South China and Hainan |
1294-1438
|Pachyornis elephantopus |Eastern South Island, New Zealand |
rowspan="2"|1295-1430
|Nesophontes micrus |Cuba |rowspan="3"|Undetermined. |
Haitian nesophontes
|Nesophontes zamicrus |Hispaniola |
c. 1300
|Tabuai rail |Hypotaenidia steadmani |Tabuai, Austral Islands, French Polynesia |
rowspan="2"|After 1300
|Chatham penguinA 1872 report of a pet penguin in the Chathams has been sometimes interpreted as a member of this species, but this is not confirmed (Hume, 2017). |Eudyptes warhami |rowspan="2"|New Zealand |rowspan="2"|Hunting.Cole, Theresa L., et al. "Mitogenomes uncover extinct penguin taxa and reveal island formation as a key driver of speciation." Molecular biology and evolution 36.4 (2019): 784-797. |
Dwarf yellow-eyed penguin
|Megadyptes antipodes richdalei |
1300-1400
|Vanellus madagascariensis |Southwestern Madagascar |
1300-1422
|Megalapteryx didinus |South Island, New Zealand |
1300-1430
|Megaladapis edwardsi |Madagascar |
1300-1800
|Hypotaenidia vekamatolu |Eua, Tonga |
1310-1420
|Anomalopteryx didiformis |New Zealand |rowspan="2"|Hunting.Jacomb, Chris, et al. "High-precision dating and ancient DNA profiling of moa (Aves: Dinornithiformes) eggshell documents a complex feature at Wairau Bar and refines the chronology of New Zealand settlement by Polynesians." Journal of Archaeological Science 50 (2014): 24-30 |
rowspan="2"|1320-1350
|Emeus crassus |rowspan="2"|South Island, New Zealand |
Haast's eagleA dubious observation of giant eagles in the 1870s has been claimed sometimes to be either this, or Eyles's harrier (Hume, 2017).
|Hieraaetus moorei |Deforestation and loss of prey. Possibly also predation of nests by introduced pigs and rats. |
1320-1630
|Palaeopropithecus ingens |Southwestern Madagascar |
1320-1380
|Scolopax brachycarpa |Hispaniola |
1347-1529
|Megadyptes waitaha |Coastal South Island, New Zealand |
1350
|Puffinus spelaeus |Western South Island, New Zealand |
1375-1610
|Loxioides kikuchi |Kaua'i, Hawaii, United States |Human settlement and farming.James, Helen F, Olson, Storrs L (2006) "A new species of Hawaiian finch (Drepanidini: Loxioides) from Makauwahi Cave. Auk 123(2): 335–344 |
1380-1500Paxinos, Ellen E., et al. mtDNA from fossils reveals a radiation of Hawaiian geese recently derived from the Canada goose (Branta canadensis). Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 2002, vol. 99, no 3, p. 1399-1404.
|Branta rhuax |Hawai'i, Hawaii, United States |
1390-1470
|Pampusana nui |French Polynesia and Cook Islands |
1396-1442
|Pachyornis australis |Subalpine South Island, New Zealand |
=15th-16th century=
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| Dinornis giganteus - skelet - 1868 - Print - Iconographia Zoologica - Special Collections University of Amsterdam - UBA01 IZ18900265.tif|Skeletal mounts of various moa species (1868).}}
=17th century=
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| DodoMansur_cutted.png|Depiction of a live dodo by Ustad Mansur, c. 1625.}}
=18th century=
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| Hydrodamalis gigas.jpeg|Drawing of Steller's sea cow by Sven Larsson Waxell (1742).}}
=19th century=
==1800s-1820s==
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| Spotted green pigeon by Latham.jpg|Drawing of a spotted green pigeon by John Latham (1823).}}
==1830s-1840s==
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| Cylindraspis indica 1792.png|Engraving of a Réunion giant tortoise by Johann David Schoepf (1792).}}
==1850s-1860s==
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| PinguinusImpennus.jpg|Painting of great auks by John James Audubon (1827-1838).}}
==1870s==
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| The Antarctic Wolf - Notes at the Zoological Gardens, Wolves - The Graphic 1873 (cropped).jpg|A drawing of a Falkland Islands wolf published in The Illustrated London News (1873).}}
==1880s==
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| Quagga photo.jpg|Only quagga photographed alive, at London Zoo in 1870.}}
==1890s==
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| Hemignathus lucidus hanapepe.jpg|Kauaʻi nukupuʻu by J. G. Keulemans (1893-1900).}}
=20th century=
==1900s==
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| PigFootedBandicoot.jpg|Painting of pig-footed bandicoots by John Gould.}}
==1910s==
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| Ectopistes_migratoriusAAP042CA.jpg|Depiction of juvenile, male, and female passenger pigeons, by Louis Agassiz Fuertes (1910).}}
==1920s==
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| Psephotus pulcherrimus.jpg|A paradise parrot photographed next to its burrow in 1922.}}
==1930s==
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| "Benjamin".jpg|"Benjamin", the last known thylacine, photographed in 1933.}}
==1940s==
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| XxLaysanRail.jpg|Laysan rail photographed in 1913.}}
==1950s==
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| Naturalis_Biodiversity_Center_-_RMNH.ART.862_-_Zalophus_californianus_japonicus_-_Kawahara_Keiga_-_1823_-_1829_-_Siebold_Collection_-_pencil_drawing_-_water_colour.jpeg|Japanese sea lion drawn by Philipp Franz von Siebold (1823-1829).}}
==1960s==
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| Pseudoscaphirhynchus fedtschenkoi.jpg|Syr Darya sturgeon by K.T. Kessler (1874).}}
==1970s==
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| Cynops wolterstorffi.JPG|Yunnan lake newts by George Albert Boulenger (1905).}}
==1980s==
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| Ivory-bill_pair.jpg|Ivory-billed woodpecker pair photographed in 1935.}}
==1990s==
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| Chiriqui harlequin frog - Atelopus_chiriquiensis.jpg|A Chiriqui harlequin frog, one of several recent amphibian extinctions.}}
3rd millennium CE
=21st century=
==2000s==
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|Lipotes vexillifer.png
| Illustration of a baiji (Lipotes vexillifer)}}
==2010s==
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| Lonesome_George_in_profile.png|"Lonesome George", the last full-blooded Pinta Island tortoise, photographed in 2006.}}
==2020s==
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|File:Naturalis Biodiversity Center - RMNH.MOL.265077 - Partula (Partula) rustica Pease, 1866 - Partulidae - Mollusc shell.jpeg|Shells of Garrett's rustic tree snail, one of many recent extinctions from the genus Partula.}}
class="wikitable sortable" |
style="width:10%;"|Last record
! style="width:19%;"|Common name ! style="width:19%;"|Binomial name !Former range !Declared extinct !Causes |
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rowspan="2"|c. 2020
|Partula garrettii rustica |rowspan="2"|Raiatea, Society Islands, French Polynesia |rowspan="2"|2022 {{small|(IUCN)}} |rowspan="2"|Predation by introduced rosy wolfsnails.{{cite iucn |author=Gerlach, J. |year=2022 |title=Partula garrettii ssp. rustica |page=e.T16328A221882510 |doi=10.2305/IUCN.UK.2022-2.RLTS.T16328A221882510.en}}{{cite iucn |author=Gerlach, J. |year=2022 |title=Partula garrettii ssp. thalia |page=e.T16329A221883366 |doi=10.2305/IUCN.UK.2022-2.RLTS.T16329A221883366.en}} |
Thalia's tree snail
|Partula garrettii thalia |
2020-2022
| |Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | |
See also
References
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{{Extinction}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Extinctions, Timeline of}}