Category: Recently Extinct

Mesopropithecus

The Mesopropithecus is an extinct small to medium-sized lemur from Madagascar. There were 3 species of Mesopropithecus and it is part of the sloth lemur family. The Mesopropithecus was originally scientifically described by Standing in 1905. The skull of the Mesopropithecus globiceps All 3 species of Mesopropithecus were herbivores. They ate seeds, fruits, and leaves

Jamaican rice rat

The Jamaican rice rat is an extinct rodent from Jamaica. This rat was thought to have dispersed into Jamaica during the last glacial period, and is known via 3 specimens that were collected live during the 19th century. In addition, it is commonly seen as a sub-fossil in caves. Holotypes of the Jamaican Rice Rat

Plesiorycteropus

Also known as the Malagasy aardvark or bibymalagasy, the Plesiorycteropus is a recently extinct mammal from Madagascar. Knowledge of the skeletol anatomy of the Plesiorycteropus is limited, as only partial skeletons have been recovered to date. Reconstruction of the mysterious Pleistocene mammal, Plesiorycteropus madagascarensis, as an aardvark-like animal. It was first described as Plesiorycteropus madagascariensis

Huia

The Huia was the largest species of New Zealand wattlebird. It was endemic to New Zealand’s North Island until the early 20th century. The last confirmed sighting of a Huia was in 1907 at the Tararua Ranges. There were credible sightings reported in 1922 near Wellington, and the last reported sighting was in the early

Babakotia

The Babakotia was a medium-sized genus of lemur that is currently extinct. It was originally from Madagascar, and its genus only contained one species – the Babakotia radofilai. Together with some other animals that are now extinct, they formed the Palaeopropithecidae family which are more commonly known as sloth lemurs. A painting of what the

Great Auk

The Great Auk was a large and flightless bird that became extinct in the mid-19th century. It was formerly of the genus Alca, and the only modern species in the genus Pinguinus, which is a group of birds that are from the Atlantic Ocean region. When this species was alive, the bred on rocky and

Labrador Duck

The Labrador Duck is a duck of many names often referred to as the ‘pied duck’ or ‘skunk duck’ because of its contrasting black and white appearance. Not a great deal is known about the now extinct Labrador Duck, however it is believed that the species died out some time in the 1870’s. The last

Falkland Islands Wolf

The Falkland Islands Wolf also known as the Antarctic Wolf was the only land mammal native to the Falkland Islands. Although the name ‘Falkland Islands Wolf’ suggests a mammal similar to a wolf, research that took place in 2009 has proven the Falkland Islands Wolf to be closer genetically to a fox and specifically the

Javan Tiger

The Javan Tiger is the middle sized tiger species that made its home in the Indonesian islands. Larger than the Bali Tiger yet smaller than the Sumatran Tiger the Javan Tiger as the name suggests lived on the island of Java up until its extinction which occurred some time in the 1980’s. The Javan Tiger

Mariana Mallard

The Mariana Mallard is an extinct species of mallard that lived only on the Mariana Islands. The Mariana Mallard is classed as part of the Anas genus however its taxodermic status is open to debate. Over the years debates have ranged about the Mariana Mallard with some claiming the Mariana Mallard as a subspecies of

Aurochs

The Aurochs was a species of massive cattle that stood around 6.6 feet tall and was found across Asia, North Africa and Europe. Now extinct, the Aurochs is the common ancestor of today’s domestic cattle and was a prominent symbol in in range of independently diverse cultures. Depicted in cave paintings all over the world

Tarpan

The Tarpan which is the name in Turkish language meaning “Wild Horse” is a now extinct subspecies of wild horse that was found throughout Poland and Russia. The photograph included in this article is the only known photo of a live Tarpan. The photo was published in 1884, 15 years before the last Tarpan held

Bali Tiger

The Bali Tiger was part of the  Panthera Tigris species which also included the now extinct Javan Tiger and the critically endangered Sumatran Tiger. The Bali Tiger is believed to have become extinct around 1937, although the exact date is open to debate. Some believe that there may still be a small population of the

North African Elephant

The North African Elephant or otherwise known as the Atlas Elephant was believed to have been found all across North Africa, reaching down to the Eritrean and Sudanese coasts. Sadly these fantastic animals became extinct relatively recently in the Roman era. The North African Elephant’s which are most famous for their roles as war elephants

Schomburgk’s Deer

Schomburgk’s Deer was a species of deer native to Thailand and garnered its curious name from the British consul in Bangkok at the time, Sir Robert H. Schomburgk. This now extinct species of deer was first given a written description in 1863 by Edward Blyth. Although widely believed to be extinct and classified as such