Extinction

In biology and ecology, extinction is the end of an organism or of a group of organisms (taxon), normally

a species. The moment of extinction is generally considered to be the death of the last individual of the group
(although the capacity to breed and recover may have been lost before this point). Because a species'
potential range may be very large, determining this moment is difficult, and is usually done retrospectively. This
difficulty leads to phenomena such as Lazarus taxa, where a species presumed extinct abruptly "re-appears"
(typically in the fossil record) after a period of apparent absence.

[edit]Definition

A species becomes extinct when the last existing member of that species dies. Extinction therefore becomes a
certainty when there are no surviving individuals that are able to reproduce and create a new generation. A
species may become functionally extinct when only a handful of individuals survive, which are unable to
reproduce due to poor health, age, sparse distribution over a large range, a lack of individuals of both sexes
(in sexually reproducingspecies), or other reasons.

example of this. Species which are not extinct are termed extant. Those that are extant but threatened by
extinction are referred to as threatened or endangered species.

An important aspect of extinction at the present time are human attempts to preserve critically endangered
species, which is reflected by the creation of theconservation status "Extinct in the Wild" (EW). Species listed
under this status by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) are not known to have any living
specimens in the wild, and are maintained only in zoos or other artificial environments. Some of these species
are functionally extinct, as they are no longer part of their natural habitat and it is unlikely the species will ever
be restored to the wild.[8] When possible, modern zoological institutions attempt to maintain a viable
population for species preservation and possible future reintroduction to the wild through use of carefully
planned breeding programs.

The extinction of one species' wild population can have knock-on effects, causing further extinctions. These are
also called "chains of extinction".[9] This is especially common with extinction ofkeystone species.

[Causes

The Passenger Pigeon, one of hundreds of species of extinct birds, was hunted to extinction over the course of a few
decades.

The Bali Tiger was declared extinct in 1937 due to hunting and habitat loss.

As long as species have been evolving, species have been going extinct. It is estimated that over 99% of all
species that ever lived have gone extinct. The average life-span of most species is 10 million years, although
this varies widely between taxa. There are a variety of causes that can contribute directly or indirectly to the
extinction of a species or group of species. "Just as each species is unique," write Beverly and Stephen
Stearns, "so is each extinction ... the causes for each are varied—some subtle and complex, others obvious
and simple".[10] Most simply, any species that is unable to survive or reproduce in its environment, and unable
to move to a new environment where it can do so, dies out and becomes extinct. Extinction of a species may
come suddenly when an otherwise healthy species is wiped out completely, as when toxic pollution renders its
entire habitat unliveable; or may occur gradually over thousands or millions of years, such as when a species
gradually loses out in competition for food to better adapted competitors. Extinction may take place a long time
after the events that set it in motion, a phenomenon known as extinction debt.

Currently, environmental groups and some governments are concerned with the extinction of species caused
by humanity, and are attempting to combat further extinctions through a variety of conservation programs.
[4]
 Humans can cause extinction of a species through overharvesting, pollution, habitat destruction, introduction
of new predators and food competitors, overhunting, and other influences. Explosive, unsustainable
human population growth is an essential cause of the extinction crisis.[11] According to the International Union
for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), 784 extinctions have been recorded since the year 1500 (to the year 2004),
the arbitrary date selected to define "modern" extinctions, with many more likely to have gone unnoticed
(several species have also been listed as extinct since the 2004 date).[12]

Scorched land resulting from slash-and-burn agriculture.

The Golden Toad 
 Zoo Tycoon

:
Snow Leopard
: Aurochs Singaporeans:

Zoo Tycoon 2: endangered

Extinct Animals animals,

=
 \

.
 The Baiji Dolphin

West African Black Rhino

THE GOLDEN TOAD

 
The Golden Toad is sometimes referred to as the Monteverde Toad or the Orange
Toad. It was only known to exist on a high altitude ridge in Monteverde, Costa Rica.
The IUCN database entry states: "Formerly a common species, no specimen has
been seen since 1989. It last bred in normal numbers in 1987, and its breeding
sites were well known." Its demise is attributed to a combination of factors,
including airborne pollution and, due to its restricted range, global warming.
Holdridge's Toad

Spix's Macaw

Po'o-uli

intervention.

Hawaiian Crow
 Pyrenean Ibex

More facts & figures — on the number of extinctions in recent times. How
many animal and pIant species have become extinct? The Pyrenean Ibex
was the first mammal to become extinct in the 21st century.