
In 2008, the most comprehensive assessment of the world’s mammals has confirmed an extinction crisis, with almost one in four at risk of disappearing forever, according to the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (IUCN 2008). The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (Version 2017.2) shows that at least 1196 of the 5644 mammal species on Earth are known to be threatened with extinction (IUCN 2017). According to the IUCN at least 81 mammal species and 9 mammal subspecies have become extinct since the year 1500 and 2 extinct in the wild (IUCN 2017). However, the real situation could be much worse, as 26 mammal species are listed as Critically Endangered (Possibly Extinct) and 795 mammal species as Data Deficient (IUCN 2017). As information improves, more mammals may well prove to be in danger of extinction or already extinct (IUCN 2008).
Do you know any species or subspecies that should be added to this list or has been rediscovered? If so, please contact this website.
Species
The subjoined table shows the mammal species that recently became ‘globally extinct’ (EX).
Species (97) | ||||
Scientific Name | Common Name | Last sighting / EED 1 | TSEW status | IUCN status |
Bettongia anhydra | Desert Bettong | 1933 | EX | EX |
Bettongia pusilla | Nullarbor Dwarf Bettong | After 1500 | EX | EX |
Boromys offella | Oriente Cave Rat | After 1500 (1850?) | EX | EX |
Boromys torrei | Torre’s Cave Rat | After 1500 (1850?) | EX | EX |
Boryptera alba | Bory’s White Bat | 1801 | EX | NE |
Bos primigenius | Aurochs | 1627 | EX | EX |
Brotomys voratus | Hispaniolan Edible Rat | 1536-1546 | EX | EX |
Caloprymnus campestris | Desert Rat Kangaroo | 1935 2 | EX | EX |
Chaeropus ecaudatus | Pig-footed Bandicoot | 1950s | EX | EX |
Conilurus albipes | White-footed Rabbit Rat | 1860-1862 | EX | EX |
Conilurus capricornensis | Capricorn Rabbit Rat | After 1500? | EX | EX |
Cordimus hooijeri | Hooijer’s Mouse | After 1500 | EX | NE |
Coryphomys buehleri | Buhler’s Rat | After 1500 | EX | EX |
Cryptonanus ignitus | Red-bellied Gracile Mouse Opossum | 1962 | EX | EX |
Cryptoprocta spelea | Giant Fossa | Before 1658? | EX | EX |
Damaliscus selousi | Uasin Gishu Topi | 1900s? | EX | NE |
Desmodus draculae | Giant Vampire Bat | Before 1820? | EX | NE |
Dusicyon australis | Falkland Island Wolf | 1876 | EX | EX |
Dusicyon avus | South American Fox | 324–496 years BP | EX | EX |
Ekbletomys hypenemus | Barbuda Rice Rat | After 1500 | EX | NE |
Equus ferus | Tarpan | 1918-1919 | EX | NE |
Eudorcas rufina | Red Gazelle | Before 1894 | EX | DD |
Gazella bilkis | Queen of Sheba’s Gazelle | 1951 | EX | EX |
Gazella saudiya | Saudi Gazelle | 1936 (1980s?) | EX | EX |
Geocapromys columbianus | Cuban Coney | After 1500 | EX | EX |
Geocapromys thoracatus | Little Swan Island Hutia | 1950s | EX | EX |
Heteropsomys insulans | Insular Cave Rat | After 1500? | EX | EX |
Hexolobodon phenax | Imposter Hutia | After 1500 | EX | EX |
Hippopotamus lemerlei | Lemerle’s Hippopotamus | After 1500 (1976?) | EX | EX |
Hippopotamus madagascariensis | Madagascan Dwarf Hippopotamus | After 1500 (1976?) | EX | EX |
Hippotragus leucophaeus | Bluebuck | 1800 | EX | EX |
Hydrodamalis gigas | Steller’s Sea Cow | 1768 | EX | EX |
Isolobodon montanus | Montane Hutia | After 1500 | EX | EX |
Isolobodon portoricensis | Puerto Rican Hutia | 1503-1578 | EX | EX |
Juscelinomys candango | Candango Mouse | 1960 | EX | EX |
Lagorchestes asomatus | Central Hare-wallaby | 1960s | EX | EX |
Lagorchestes leporides | Eastern Hare-wallaby | 1889 | EX | EX |
Lagostomus crassus | Peruvian Viscacha | Before 1910 | EX | EX |
Leporillus apicalis | Lesser Stick-nest Rat | 1933 (1970?) | EX | EX |
Lutra nippon | Japanese Otter | 1979 | EX | NE |
Macropus greyi | Toolache Wallaby | 1939 (1972?) | EX | EX |
Macrotis leucura | Lesser Bilby | 1960s | EX | EX |
Megalomys desmarestii | Antillean Giant Rice Rat | 1897 (1902?) | EX | EX |
Megalomys luciae | Santa Lucia Giant Rice Rat | Before 1881 | EX | EX |
Megaoryzomys curioi | Galapagos Giant Rat | 1520-1950 | EX | EX |
Melomys rubicola | Bramble Cay Melomys | 2009 | EX | EX |
Neomonachus tropicalis | Caribbean Monk Seal | 1952 | EX | EX |
Neovison macrodon | Sea Mink | 1860 (1894?) | EX | EX |
Nesophontes edithae | Puerto Rican Nesophontes | After 1500 | EX | EX |
Nesophontes hypomicrus | Atalaye Nesophontes | After 1500 | EX | EX |
Nesophontes longirostris | Slender Cuban Nesophontes | After 1500 | EX | NE |
Nesophontes major | Greater Cuban Nesophontes | After 1500 | EX | EX |
Nesophontes micrus | Western Cuban Nesophontes | After 1500 | EX | EX |
Nesophontes paramicrus | Saint Michel Nesophontes | After 1500 | EX | EX |
Nesophontes submicrus | Lesser Cuban Nesophontes | After 1500 | EX | NE |
Nesophontes superstes | Cuban Nesophontes | After 1500 | EX | NE |
Nesophontes zamicrus | Haitian Nesophontes | After 1500 | EX | EX |
Nesoryzomys darwini | Darwin’s Galapagos Mouse | After 1500 | EX | EX |
Nesoryzomys indefessus | Indefatigable Galapagos Mouse | After 1500 | EX | EX |
Noronhomys vespuccii | Vespucci’s Rodent | 1503 | EX | EX |
Notomys amplus | Short-tailed Hopping-mouse | Before 1896 | EX | EX |
Notomys longicaudatus | Long-tailed Hopping-mouse | 1901 | EX | EX |
Notomys macrotis | Big-eared Hopping-mouse | 1843 | EX | EX |
Notomys mordax | Darling Downs Hopping-mouse | 1846 | EX | EX |
Notomys robustus | Great Hopping Mouse | 1850-1900? | EX | EX |
Nyctimene sanctacrucis | Nendo Tube-nosed Fruit Bat | Before 1892 | EX | DD |
Oligoryzomys victus | St. Vincent Pygmy Rice Rat | 1892 | EX | EX |
Onychogalea lunata | Crescent Nailtail Wallaby | 1956 | EX | EX |
Oryzomys antillarum | Jamaican Rice Rat | 1877 | EX | EX |
Oryzomys nelsoni | Nelson’s Rice Rat | 1897 | EX | EX |
Oryzomys peninsulae | Lower California Rice Rat | 1906 | EX | NE |
Palaeopropithecus ingens | Large Sloth Lemur | 1300-1620 | EX | EX |
Pennatomys nivalis | Nevis Rice Rat | 1720? (1930s?) | EX | EX |
Perameles eremiana | Desert Bandicoot | 1960s | EX | EX |
Peromyscus pembertoni | Pemberton’s Deer Mouse | 1931 | EX | EX |
Pipistrellus murrayi | Christmas Island Pipistrelle | 2009 | EX | EX |
Plagiodontia ipnaeum | Samana Hutia | 1536-1546? | EX | EX |
Potorous platyops | Broad-faced Potoroo | 1875 | EX | EX |
Prolagus sardus | Sardinian Pika | 1774 | EX | EX |
Pseudomys auritus | Long-eared Mouse | 1850? | EX | EX |
Pseudomys glaucus | Blue-grey Mouse | 1956 | EX | EX |
Pseudomys gouldii | Gould’s Mouse | 1857 | EX | EX |
Pteropus allenorum | Small Samoan Flying Fox | 1856 | EX | NE |
Pteropus brunneus | Dusky Flying Fox | 1874 | EX | EX |
Pteropus coxi | Large Samoan Flying Fox | 1838-1842 (1980s?) | EX | NE |
Pteropus pilosus | Large Palau Flying Fox | Before 1874 | EX | EX |
Pteropus subniger | Lesser Mascarene Flying Fox | Before 1866 | EX | EX |
Pteropus tokudae | Guam Flying Fox | 1968 | EX | EX |
Quemisia gravis | Twisted-Toothed Mouse | 1536-1546 | EX | NE |
Rattus macleari | Maclear’s Rat | 1903 | EX | EX |
Rattus nativitatis | Bulldog Rat | 1903 | EX | EX |
Rucervus schomburgki | Schomburgk’s Deer | 1938 | EX | EX |
Solenodon marcanoi | Marcano’s Solenodon | After 1500 | EX | EX |
Sus bucculentus | Indo-Chinese Warty Pig | 1892 | EX | EX |
Thylacinus cynocephalus | Tasmanian Tiger | 1936 | EX | EX |
Xenothrix mcgregori | Jamaican Monkey | After 1500 (1769?) | EX | EX |
Zalophus japonicus | Japanese Sea Lion | 1951 | EX | EX |
Subspecies
The subjoined table shows the mammal subspecies that recently became ‘globally extinct’ (EX).
Subspecies (57) | ||||
Scientific Name | Common Name | Last sighting / EED 1 | TSEW status | IUCN status |
Alcelaphus buselaphus buselaphus | Bubal Hartebeest | 1925 | EX | EX |
Alces alces caucasicus | Caucasian Elk | 1900s (1810?) | EX | NE |
Bettongia gaimardi gaimardi | Eastern Bettong | 1920s | EX | NE |
Bettongia penicillata penicillata | Brush-tailed Bettong | 1923 | EX | NE |
Bison bonasus caucasicus | Caucasian Wisent | 1927 | EX | NE |
Bos gaurus sinhaleyus | Sri Lankan Gaur | 1812-1841 | EX | NE |
Canis lupus hattai | Hokkaido Japanese Wolf | 1889 | EX | NE |
Canis lupus hodophilax | Honshu Japanese Wolf | 1905 | EX | NE |
Canis rufus floridanus | Florida Black Wolf | 1930 | EX | NE |
Canis rufus greygoryi | Mississippi Red Wolf | 1970s | EX | NE |
Capra pyrenaica lusitanica | Portuguese Ibex | 1892 | EX | NE |
Capra pyrenaica pyrenaica | Pyrenean Ibex | 2000 & 2009 3 | EX | NE |
Chaetodipus rudinoris fornicatus | Monserrate Island Pocket Mouse | 1975 | EX | NE |
Choeropsis liberiensis heslopi | Niger Delta Pygmy Hippopotamus | 1945 | EX | NE |
Conepatus leuconotus telmalestes | Big Thicket Hog-nosed Skunk | 1945 | EX | NE |
Diceros bicornis longipes | Western Black Rhinoceros | Before 2006 | EX | EX |
Equus hemionus hemippus | Syrian Wild Ass | 1928 | EX | NE |
Equus quagga quagga | Quagga | 1883 | EX | EX |
Geocapromys ingrahami abaconis | Great Abaco Hutia | 1600 | EX | NE |
Geocapromys ingrahami irrectus | Crooked Island Hutia | 1600 | EX | NE |
Geomys pinetis goffi | Goff’s Southeastern Pocket Gopher | 1955 | EX | NE |
Geomys pinetis fontanelus | Sherman’s Pocket Gopher | 1950 | EX | NE |
Kobus leche robertsi | Roberts’ Lechwe | After 1913 | EX | EX |
Lagorchestes hirsutus hirsutus | Rufous Hare-wallaby | 1900 | EX | NE |
Lagostrophus fasciatus baudinettei | South Australian Banded Hare-Wallaby | 1927 | EX | NE |
Leptailurus serval constantinus | North African Serval | 1936 (1996?) | EX | NE |
Lutra lutra whiteleyi | Japanese River Otter | 1955-1959 | EX | NE |
Lynx lynx sardiniae | Sardinian Lynx | 1967? | EX | NE |
Microtus montanus nevadensis | Ash Meadows Montane Vole | 1933 | EX | NE |
Microtus ochrogaster ludovicianus | Louisiana Vole | 1899 | EX | NE |
Microtus pennsylvanicus chihuahuensis | Chihuahuan Meadow Vole | 1988 (2000?) | EX | NE |
Neofelis nebulosa brachyurus | Formosan Clouded Leopard | 1983 | EX | NE |
Neotoma bryanti anthonyi | Anthony’s Woodrat | 1926 | EX | EX |
Neotoma bryanti martinensis | San Martin Island Woodrat | 1950s | EX | EX |
Ourebia ourebi kenyae | Kenya Oribi | 1980s? | EX | EX |
Panthera leo leo | Barbary Lion | After 1942? | EX | VU |
Panthera leo melanochaitus | Cape Lion | 1865 | EX | NE |
Panthera pardus adersi | Zanzibar Leopard | 1996 | EX | NE |
Panthera tigris balica | Bali Tiger | 1937 (1972?) | EX | EX |
Panthera tigris sondaica | Javan Tiger | 1979 | EX | EX |
Panthera tigris virgata | Caspian Tiger | 1970 | EX | EX |
Perognathus alticolus alticolus | White-eared Pocket Mouse | 1934 | EX | NE |
Peromyscus guardia harbisoni | Granito Island Deer Mouse | 1963 | EX | NE |
Peromyscus guardia mejiae | Mejía Island Deer Mouse | 1973 | EX | NE |
Phacochoerus aethiopicus aethiopicus | Cape Warthog | 1871 (1896?) | EX | NE |
Rhinoceros sondaicus annamiticus | Vietnamese Javan Rhinoceros | 2010 | EX | NE |
Rhinoceros sondaicus inermis | Indian Javan Rhinoceros | Before 1925 (1892-1908?) | EX | NE |
Rhinolophus cornutus miyakonis | Miyako Horseshoe Bat | 1971 | EX | NE |
Sigmodon arizonae arizonae | Camp Verde Arizona Cotton Rat | 1932 | EX | NE |
Sigmodon arizonae jacksoni | Yavapai Arizona Cotton Rat | 1900s (1918?) | EX | NE |
Sorex ornatus juncensis | Tule Shrew | 1905 | EX | NE |
Sus cebifrons cebifrons | Cebu Warty Pig | 1960s | EX | NE |
Tamias umbrinus nevadensis | Nevada Uinta Chipmunk | 1960 | EX | NE |
Thomomys mazama tacomensis | Tacoma Pocket Gopher | 1974 | EX | NE |
Ursus arctos californicus | California Golden Bear | 1924 | EX | NE |
Ursus arctos crowtheri | Atlas Bear | 1841? | EX | NE |
Vulpes macrotis macrotis | Southern California Kit Fox | 1903 | EX | NE |
Notes
- The Effective Extinction Date (EED) is the last reliable record of collection or observation.
- It was first believed extinct in 1841, but rediscovered in 1931 (Fisher & Blomberg 2010). There have been no reliable records of the species since 1935, but there were unconfirmed sightings in Queensland following periods of rain in 1956-1957 and 1974-1975 (Carr & Robinson 1997; Australasian Mammal Assessment Workshop 2008). According MacPhee & Flemming (1999) its EED is 1932.
- The very last individual died on 6 January 2000 in Ordesa National Park in Spain (Caprinae Specialist Group 2000). In January 2009 it became the first extinct animal to be resurrected by cloning, but died after 7 minutes (Folch et al. 2009; Gray & Dobson 2009).
- The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (version 2012.2) includes the Insular Cave Rat (Heteropsomys insulans) as an recent extinction (Turvey & Helgen 2008; IUCN 2012), however radiocarbon dating of the subfossil bones suggest it became extinct arround CE 694-887 (Turvey 2009). Therefore it probably did not persisted until the time of first European arrival in the West Indies.
- The population of Deer Mouse from Estanque Island (Peromyscus guardia subsp. indet.), last seen in 1998, may represent an undescribed subspecies (Mellink et al. 2002; Vázquez-Domínguez et al. 2004), but may also be conspecific with the Angel de la Guarda Deer Mouse (Peromyscus guardia guardia).
The Sixth Extinction Database (TSED)
The Sixth Extinction has created a database (TSED 3.0) with currently all known recent mammal, bird, reptile and amphibian extinctions, possible extinctions, extinctions in the wild, rediscoveries, and more. Later versions of this database will include extinctions from all animal and plant groups. The database is free to download in Excel and OpenDocument formats.
References
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Carr, S. G. and Robinson, A. C. (1997). The present status and distribution of the Desert Rat-kangaroo Caloprymnus campestris (Marsupialia: campestris). South Australian Naturalist 72: 4-27.
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Folch, J., et al. (2009) First birth of an animal from an extinct subspecies (Capra pyrenaica pyrenaica) by cloning. Theriogenology, 71, 1026-1034.
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Citation: | Maas, P.H.J. (2017). Globally Extinct Mammals. In: TSEW (2017). The Sixth Extinction. http://petermaas.nl/extinct. Downloaded on . |
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Updated: | 22 October 2017 |