SCIENCE PERFORMANCE TASK

West African Black Rhinoceros

 West African black rhinoceros is an extinct subspecies of the black rhinoceros. It
was declared extinct by the IUCN in 2011. The western black rhinoceros was believed
to have been genetically different from other rhino subspecies. It was once widespread
in the savanna of sub-Saharan Africa, but its numbers declined due to poaching. The
western black rhinoceros resided primarily in Cameroon, but surveys since 2006 have
failed to locate any individuals. It was a sub-species of the black rhino. For much of the
1900s, its population was the highest out of all the rhino species at most 850,000
individuals. There was a 96% population decline in black rhinos, including the western
black rhino, between 1970 and 1992. Their extinction was caused mainly by poachers
killing them for their horns, which are highly prized on the black market and used in
traditional Chinese medicine.

Passenger Pigeon
The passenger pigeon or wild pigeon is an extinct species of pigeon that
was endemic to North America. Its common name is derived from the French
word passage, meaning "passing by", due to the migratory habits of the species. The
scientific name also refers to its migratory characteristics. The morphologically
similar mourning dove (Zenaida macroura) was long thought to be its closest relative,
and the two were at times confused, but genetic analysis has shown that the
genus Patagonia is more closely related to it than the Zenaida doves. Reasons for
extinction: Well, they were hunted - but it wasn't just hunting that caused their extinction.
You see, the passenger pigeon needed to nest and raise their chicks around lots of
other pigeons. So, when their numbers began to decline because of hunting, they
became unable to breed properly. It is estimated that thier population were 3 billion to 5
billion passenger pigeons at the time Europeans discovered America. Early explorers
and settlers frequently mentioned passenger pigeons in their writings.

Sabre-toothed Cat
A saber-toothed cat (alternatively spelled sabre-toothed cat) or saber-tooth is
any member of various extinct groups of predatory mammals, predominantly
carnivorans, that are characterized by long, curved saber-shaped canine teeth which
protruded from the mouth when closed. The sabre-toothed cats have been found almost
worldwide from the Eocene epoch to the end of the Pleistocene epoch 42 million years
ago – 11,000 years ago. Scientists theorize that environmental change, decline in prey
population, and human activity lead to the death of the saber-tooth tiger some 10,000
years ago. Its estimated population is unknown