Timeline of extinctions in the Holocene

Updated on Nov 21, 2023

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

The following is a selective list made by sampling a very small proportion, mostly mammals, of some of the well-known extinct species in the recent history. For a more elaborate list see Lists of extinct animals. The vast majority of extinctions, though, are thought to be undocumented. According to the species-area theory and based on upper-bound estimating, the present rate of extinction may be up to 140,000 species per year. See Holocene extinction for more information.

10th millennium BC

c. 9950 BC - Cuvieronius humboldti survived in Chile until about this time.

c. 9910 BC - The long-nosed peccary survived in Ohio until about this time.

c. 9740 BC - Hemiauchenia macrocephala survived until about this time.

c. 9715 BC - Macrauchenia survived in Chile until about this time.

c. 9680 BC - Euceratherium collinum survived in Utah until about this time.

c. 9650 BC - Arctotherium tarijense survived in Uruguay until about this time.

c. 9550 BC - Stock's pronghorn survived until about this time.

c. 9530 BC - The short-faced bear survived in Ohio until about this time.

c. 9400 BC - The Corsican and Sardinian canid Cynotherium sardous survived until about this time.

c. 9390 BC - Eremotherium laurillardi survived in Brazil until about this time.

c. 9380 BC - Equus conversidens survived in Alberta until about this time.

c. 9220 BC - Capromeryx minor and Equus scotti survived until about this time.

c. 9180 BC - Bison antiquus survived in Alberta until about this time.

c. 9135 BC - Panthera onca mesembrina survived until about this time.

c. 9110 BC - The flat-headed peccary survived in Ohio until about this time.

c. 9090 BC - Glyptodon, Scelidotherium, Stegomastodon, and Toxodon survived in Brazil until about this time.

c. 9080 BC - The pygmy mammoth survived on Santa Rosa Island, California until about this time.

c. 9030 BC - Bootherium bombifrons survived in Alberta, Canada until about this time.

9th millennium BC

c. 8920 BC - Oreamnos harringtoni survived in Arizona until about this time.

c. 8760 BC - The Columbian mammoth survived in South Dakota until about this time.

c. 8735 BC - Hippidion saldiasi survived in Chile until about this time.

c. 8420 BC - Camelops hesternus, Martes nobilis and Panthera leo atrox survived until about this time.

c. 8280 BC - Cervalces scotti survived until about this time.

8th millennium BC

c. 7950 BC - Nothrotheriops shastensis survived until about this time.

c. 7930 BC - Glossotherium floridanum, Holmesina septentrionalis, Mammut americanum, Tapirus veroensis and Palaeolama mirifica survived until about this time.

c. 7630 BC - The sloth Catonyx cuvieri survived in Brazil until about this time.

c. 7600 BC - Castoroides ohioensis and Mylohyus nasutus survived until about this time.

c. 7490 BC - Canis dirus and Megalonyx jeffersonii survived until about this time.

c. 7470 BC - The Cyprus dwarf elephant became extinct around this time.

c. 7460 BC - Smilodon fatalis survived until about this time.

c. 7290 BC - The Cyprus dwarf hippopotamus became extinct at about this time.

c. 7180 BC - Smilodon populator survived in Brazil until about this time.

7th millennium BC

c. 6960 BC - Scelidodon chiliensis survived in Peru until about this time.

c. 6910 BC - The primitive bison survived in the Taymyr Peninsula until this time.

c. 6730 BC - Equus santaelenae survived in Ecuador until about this time.

c. 6720 BC - Ochotona whartoni survived in eastern North America until about this time.

c. 6689 BC - Mylodon survived in Chile until about this time.

c. 6050 BC - Megalotragus priscus survived in South Africa until about this time.

6th millennium BC

c. 5620 BC - Antidorcas bondi survived in South Africa until about this time.

c. 5370 BC - Megatherium americanum survived in Argentina until about this time.

c. 5020 BC - The Sardinian giant deer Praemegaceros cazioti survived until about this time.

5th millennium BC

c. 4950 BC - Dactylopsila kambuaya and Petauroides ayamaruensis survived in New Guinea until about this time.

c. 4866 BC - Irish elk survived in the Urals and western Siberia until this time.

c. 4605 BC - The glyptodont Doedicurus clavicaudatus survived in Argentina until about this time.

4th millennium BC

c. 3010 BC - Parocnus browni survived on Hispaniola until about this time.

3rd millennium BC

c. 2915 BC - The canid Dusicyon avus survived in Argentina until about this time.

c. 2835 BC - The Balearic cave goat became extinct around this time.

c. 2765 BC - 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.

c. 2550 BC - The Bennu heron became extinct around this time, possibly due to degradation of its wetland habitat. It was last recorded in the Arabian Peninsula.

c. 2240 BC - The sloth Megalocnus rodens survived in Cuba until about this time.

2nd millennium BC

c. 1900 BC - Antillothrix bernensis survived on Hispaniola until about this time.

c. 1780 BC - The last known population of woolly mammoths on Wrangel Island died out, possibly due to a combination of climate change and hunting.

c. 1562 BC - The rodent Elasmodontomys obliquus survived in Puerto Rico until about this time.

c. 1380 BC - Acratocnus odontrigonus, formerly inhabiting Puerto Rico and Antigua, survived until about this time.

c. 1300 BC - Thylogale christenseni survived in New Guinea until about this time.

1st millennium BC

c. 530 BC - Microgale macpheei survived in Madagascar until about this time.

c. 450 BC - Crocidura balsamifera survived in Egypt until about this time.

c. 341 BC - Archaeoindris fontoynonti survived in Madagascar until about this time.

c. 110 BC - Archaeolemur edwardsi survived in Madagascar until about this time.

c. 100 BC - Syrian elephant becomes extinct due to overhunting for ivory.

1st millennium AD

c. 256 - Mesopropithecus globiceps survived in Madagascar until about this time.

c. 450 - The turtle genus Meiolania survived until this time on New Caledonia.

c. 537 - Hadropithecus stenognathus survived in Madagascar until about this time.

c. 540 - Mesopropithecus pithecoides survived in Madagascar until about this time.

c. 730 - Pachylemur insignis survived in Madagascar until about this time.

c. 885 - Daubentonia robusta survived in Madagascar until about this time.

c. 915 - Plesiorycteropus survived in Madagascar until about this time.

11th century

c. 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

c. 1320 - The lemur Megaladapis edwardsi survived in Madagascar until about this time.

c. 1360 - Nesophontes survived in Cuba until around this time.

15th century

c. 1440 - The lemur Palaeopropithecus ingens survived in Madagascar until about this time.

The moas of New Zealand became extinct, probably due to hunting.

16th century

c. 1500-1550 - The Waitaha penguin of South Island became extinct.

New Zealand's Haast's eagle, a giant bird of prey, becomes extinct. The eagle's main prey was the moa, which became extinct in the 15th century. Debate looms as to if the Haast's eagle became 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.

c. 1660 - The giant vampire bat survived in Argentina until about this time.

1662 - The last definite sighting of a Mauritius dodo was made. 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.

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

18th century

1768 - Steller's sea cow became extinct due to overhunting for meat and leather.

1773 - The Tahiti sandpiper died out after rats were introduced to its habitat in the Society Islands.

1774 - The Sardinian pika became extinct due to invasive species (foxes, cats, etc.) that were introduced to Sardinia and Corsica.

1777 - The Society parakeet population dies out on the Society Islands after vessels released pests.

1788 - The Lord Howe swamphen, also known as the white gallinule, 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.

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.

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.

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.

1876 - The Falkland Islands wolf became extinct.

1878 - Labrador duck declared extinct after last appearances in Long Island three years earlier.

c. 1879 - 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.

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.

1890 - The eastern hare-wallaby was last recorded.

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.

1900s

1902 - The last known specimens of the Rocky Mountain locust are collected near Brandon, Manitoba.

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

1907 - The huia, a native bird of New Zealand and one of the few birds in which the sexes had differently-shaped beaks (the female's was longer and more down-curved), succumbs to hunting, habitat loss, and introduced predators.

1909 - The last known tarpan, a Polish wild horse, died in captivity.

1910s

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

1911 - The last Newfoundland wolf was shot.

1914 - The last passenger pigeon, Martha, died in captivity at the Cincinnati Zoo. Excessive hunting contributed to its extinction; it was formerly one of the world's most abundant birds.

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.

1920s

1924 - The California grizzly bear is sighted for the last time.

1925 - The Kenai Peninsula wolf was driven to extinction.

1930s

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

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.

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

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.

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.

1940s

1940 - The Cascade mountain wolf was hunted to extinction.

1942 - The Texas wolf was purposefully driven to extinction.

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

1950s

1952 - Last reliable report of the Caribbean monk seal.

1952 - The Bernard's wolf was hunted to extinction.

1956 - The crescent nail-tail wallaby and imperial woodpecker were last recorded.

1960s

1962 - The red-bellied gracile opossum was last recorded in Argentina.

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.

1966 - The last Arabian ostrich died.

c. 1969 - The last Mexican grizzly bear is shot.

1970s

c. 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.

1974 - The last known Japanese sea lion is captured off the coast of Rebun Island, Hokkaido.

c. 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.

1983 - Last unconfirmed spotting of the kouprey (Bos sauveli), last absolute confirmed spotting was in 1969/70. Declared as “most likely to be extinct” by the IUCN.

1983-84 - The 24-rayed sunstar (Heliaster solaris), the Galapagos black-spotted damselfish and the Galapagos stringweed likely become extinct due to climate change.

1985 - The gastric-brooding frog or platypus frog (Rheobatrachus silus) became extinct probably due to habitat destruction and disease.

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

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.

1994 - Levuana moth from Hawaii goes extinct.

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

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 shortly after birth due to defects in the lungs.

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.

2010s

2011 - The eastern cougar was declared extinct.

2011 - The western black rhinoceros was declared extinct.

2012 - The Japanese river otter (Lutra lutra whiteneyi) 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.

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.

2015 - The Eastern cougar was confirmed extinct.

2016 - The Bramble Cay melomys was confirmed extinct.

References

Timeline of extinctions in the Holocene Wikipedia

(Text) CC BY-SA

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