11 Extinct Animals That Have Been Photographed Alive Animals Published on April 2nd, 2009 | by Bryan Nelson The current rate of extinction is 100 to 1000 times higher than the average, or background rate, making our current period the 6th major mass extinction in the planet’s history. Although fossil reconstructions or pictorial representations can sometimes be difficult to connect with, it’s impossible to ignore the experience of seeing a photograph of an animal on the brink of extinction. Thus, what follows is a list of 11 extinct animals that were photographed while still alive. Tasmanian Tiger The last Tasmanian Tiger, or Thylacine, known to have existed died in the Hobart Zoo, in Tasmania, Australia, on September 7th, 1936. Although commonly referred to as ‘tigers’, and despite having the look of a canid, the Thylacine isn’t remotely related to cats or dogs. >> Also see our latest post: 10 Animals on the Brink of Extinction Quagga Passenger Pigeon Colonial hunters happened. Golden Toad About the Author
Scottish Wildcat Association Extinct ibex is resurrected by cloning It has also increased the possibility that it will one day be possible to reproduce long-dead species such as woolly mammoths and even dinosaurs. Dr Jose Folch, from the Centre of Food Technology and Research of Aragon, in Zaragoza, northern Spain, led the research along with colleagues from the National Research Institute of Agriculture and Food in Madrid. He said: "The delivered kid was genetically identical to the bucardo. In species such as bucardo, cloning is the only possibility to avoid its complete disappearance." Pyrenean ibex, which have distinctive curved horns, were once common in northern Spain and in the French Pyrenees, but extensive hunting during the 19th century reduced their numbers to fewer than 100 individuals. They were eventually declared protected in 1973, but by 1981 just 30 remained in their last foothold in the Ordesa National Park in the Aragon District of the Pyrenees.
Amur Leopard The birth of an Amur leopard cub at Germany's Leipzig Zoo is huge news for her species, which is critically endangered. The cub, a female who hasn't yet been named, was born at the zoo in late June. Amur leopards, native to eastern Russia, parts of China and the Korean Peninsula, have been driven nearly to extinction, primarily as a result of habitat loss and fragmentation. In a period of less than 15 years during the 1970s and '80s, about 80% of its Russian habitat was lost. Another issue facing the species is poaching, since their impressively patterned coats fetch high prices on the black market. Today, it's estimated that fewer than 40 Amur leopards remain in the wild in Russia, and an even smaller number are thought to remain in China. See more photos of the Leipzig Zoo's cub after the jump. RELATED CUTE CUBS: Your morning adorable: Clouded leopard cubs make their debut at Paris zoo Your morning adorable: Lion cubs get a checkup at Israeli zoo -- Lindsay Barnett
Tasmanian tiger DNA 'lives' again Seventy years after the ferocious Tasmanian tiger went extinct, its marsupial DNA has been resurrected inside mice. This is the first time that genetic material from an extinct animal has functioned inside a living host. The technique has huge potential, say the researchers. For instance, it might help to reveal how dinosaurs or Neanderthals looked. Andrew Pask at the University of Melbourne, Australia, and colleagues extracted DNA from four 100-year-old Tasmanian tiger, or thylacine, samples. The samples were taken from three infant animals preserved in alcohol and one adult pelt. The DNA was badly fragmented, but the team managed to isolate one specific DNA sequence from each of the animals. Bigger questions The team then copied the DNA snippet, coupled it with a gene that produces a blue pigment, and injected it into very early mouse embryos. "We could see it very clearly in the developing cartilage," says Pask. This work isn't a step towards cloning the entire thylacine, Pask stresses.
Saola Caught in Asia 16 September 2010Last updated at 14:59 By Katia Moskvitch Science reporter, BBC News There may only be a few dozen of Saola left in the wild An extremely rare animal known as the "Asian unicorn" - in spite of having two horns - has been caught by villagers in Laos. No biologist has ever reported seeing the rare Saola in the wild and there are none of them in captivity. The animal was discovered in the forests of South-East Asia as recently as 1992. There have only been a few photos of the Saola taken so far, by villagers and automatic camera traps. The Saola - Pseudoryx nghetinhensis - is believed to inhabit the Annamite Mountains of Laos and Vietnam, and that is where villagers from Laos' central province of Bolikhamxay caught the unfortunate adult male earlier this August. They brought the mammal back to the village. Unfortunate death Surprised by the odd-looking animal, the villagers took a few photos and notified the Lao authorities. New species Not much time
7 Extinct Giant Versions of Modern Animals The animal kingdom is loaded with some pretty formidable creatures, a few of which we as humans are only barely able to keep in line even with modern technology. As it turns out, many of these species are the diminutive descendents of giants so mind bogglingly huge and terrifying that they could probably take over the entire world with minimal effort. Meganeura, The Giant Dragonfly Meganeura were enormous dragonfly-like insects with wingspans the length of an average toddler, making them among the largest flying predatory insects in the history of the world. Their diet consisted mainly of other insects, small amphibians and the dreams of children. Some scientists think that Meganeura were actually too big to be able to survive in the current atmosphere, citing the higher oxygen concentration in the prehistoric world as the only way an insect its size would be able to breathe in enough to support its massive body. Why it's a Good Thing They're Dead: That. Did we mention the claws? Exhibit A.
Top 10 Most Endangered Animals in the World We all heard it: we need to save our Mother Earth. But despite this loud cry made by environmentalists and large animal rights organizations, there are still animals that are in danger of becoming extinct — forever. The general apathy of people is contributing to this fast disappearing of animals while greed is driving people to destroy the natural habitats of these animals. This is the main purpose of this article, to increase the awareness of the readers how serious the situation is. If we do not act now, things will get worse before they get better. Top 10 Most Endangered Animals It is undeniable that it is hard to make a list of endangered animals because of the number of animal species that are currently facing extinction. Mako shark is killed primarily because of its tender meat and fin.
List of recently extinct mammals A large number of prehistoric mammals are extinct, such as Megafauna. See List of prehistoric mammals. This is an incomplete list of historically known extinct mammals, their dates of extinction, and former range. Marsupials[edit] Sirenians[edit] Steller's Sea Cow (1768), Commander Islands Rodents[edit] Ungulates[edit] Cebu Warty Pig (2000, Philippines) Lagomorphs[edit] Proboscids[edit] Tubulidentata[edit] Bibymalagasia (200 BCE, Madagascar) Soricimorphs[edit] Bats[edit] Cetaceans[edit] Chinese River Dolphin Baiji (2006, China) (officially listed as functionally extinct; it is possible that a few aging individuals still survive) Artiodactyls[edit] Aurochs Carnivores[edit] Javan Tiger, pictured 1938 Subspecies Primates[edit] Koala lemur (1500, Madagascar) Perissodactyls[edit] See also[edit] References[edit]
Iberian Lynx, Most Endangered Wild Cat (ENDANGERED SPECIES) Hope for the world’s most endangered wild cat, the Iberian lynx, has arrived! For the first time, scientists have successfully collected and preserved the feline’s embryos which may help save the species. The cat’s declining population is in critical condition with less than 200 accounted for a decade ago. Scientists hope that by preserving the embryos, they may be able to use surrogate mothers from closely related species to boost the Iberian lynx population. The Iberian lynx is the world’s most endangered wild cat. Live Science, Megan Gannon It seems counterintuitive that castration could help save a species facing extinction. Conservationists are hoping the fertilized eggs could be implanted into a surrogate mother of a closely related species, possibly a Eurasian lynx female. But immediately after Azahar’s castration surgery, scientists say they obtained embryos and ovarian pieces from the feline in a process adapted from one used on domestic cats.
10 Most Amazing Extinct Animals From the Quagga --half zebra, half horse-- to the Irish Deer --the largest deer that ever lived--, an impressive list with pictures of amazing animals we will never see. Tyrannosaurus Rex (extinct 65 million years ago) [Wiki] Tyrannosaurus rex was one of the largest land carnivores of all time, measuring up to 43.3 feet long, and 16.6 ft tall, with an estimated mass that goes up to 7 tons. Fossils of T. rex have been found in North American rock formations dating to the last three million years of the Cretaceous Period at the end of the Maastrichtian stage, approximately 68.5 to 65.5 million years ago; it was among the last dinosaurs to exist prior to the Cretaceous-Tertiary extinction event. Quagga: half zebra, half horse (extinct since 1883) [Wiki] One of Africa's most famous extinct animals, the quagga was a subspecies of the plains zebra, which was once found in great numbers in South Africa's Cape Province and the southern part of the Orange Free State. More Info:
Extinct frog hops back into the gene pool In what may be considered an early Easter miracle, an extinct species of native frog has begun its rise from the dead. Australian scientists have grown embryos containing the revived DNA of the extinct gastric-brooding frog, the crucial first step in their attempt to bring a species back to life. The team from the aptly named Lazarus project inserted the dead genetic material of the extinct amphibian into the donor eggs of another species of living frog, a process similar to the technique used to create the cloned sheep Dolly. Extict since 1983: The bizarre gastric-brooding frog. "This is the first time this technique has been achieved for an extinct species," said one of the project scientists, conservation biologist Michael Mahony. Advertisement While many scientists have argued it would be impossible to bring a species back from the dead like in the film Jurassic Park, the Lazarus project's breakthrough suggested the revival of extinct species was no longer the realm of science fiction.
Shocking Study Finds Lions are Nearly Extinct in West Africa Physically and emotionally demanding. That’s how Philipp Henschel, Lion Program Survey Coordinator for the big-cat conservation organization Panthera, describes the six years he and other researchers spent combing the wilds of 17 nations looking for the elusive and rarely studied West African lion. The results of their quest were disheartening to say the least. Back in 2005, before the survey began, West African lions were believed to live in 21 different protected areas. But now a paper about the survey, published today in PLoS One, confirms that lions actually exist in just four of those sites. Worse still, the researchers estimate that the total population for West African lions is only about 400 animals, including fewer than 250 mature individuals of breeding age. Although shocking, the news of the lions’ near extinction should probably not come as a surprise given the context of the region. Devastating Realization But their work was not completely in vain. The Counts What Comes Next?