1.

1
End of the Cretaceous

65 Million Years Ago

Up first, the most famous (and recent) of all the Extinction Events... the one that killed all
but a small few of the dinosaurs (the ones that ended up being today's birds). This die-off
killed more than just big land reptiles, however, it also obliterated 17% of all living
things on Earth. Asteroid impact off today's Yucatan Penninsula is the most well known
theory as to the cause, but scientists think it may have been more complicated and less
sudden than a single thing. Two other terrible things were happening at that time -- the
breakup of a super-continent and the monstrous multi-millennial eruption of the Deccan
Traps in India.

Not a good time to visit when we finally invent that time machine.

2.
3. 2
End of the Triassic
 200 Million Years Ago

Next down the line, we come to the end of the Triassic Period... and this one, we know
very little about. According to the fossil record, 1/5th of all families of marine life were
killed. There is speculation that this die-off happened more slowly, over many thousands
of years and might be partially attributed to the introduction of very few new species. But
the most likely cause of all the death is the eruption of the Central Atlantic magmatic
province. 2 million cubic km of lava spilled out over a few hundred years... but worse, 2
quadrillion kg of sulfur was released along with twice as much C02. Yikes.

4. 3
End of the Permian

250 Million Years Ago

This is the big one... the one that is easily the closest life has ever come to being
eradicated from Earth. Hold on to your hats... 83% of all genera on land and sea went
extinct during this period. That is 96% of all marine life and 70% of all land vertebrates.
Of all the Extinction Events, its the only one that affected insects and it almost wiped out
land plants entirely. Something like this can't be traced back to just one thing, or even
two. It was likely a combination of many, many bad things happening all around the
same time. The supercontinent of Pangea was just forming, for one, but the immense
Siberian Traps also erupted at this time. There's some speculation that there was also a
meteor impact... but this has yet to be confimed.
 The Late Devonian

370 Million Years Ago

This is a difficult event to pin down. Some scientists think it is more like two or more
events over the period of 25 million years. However many awful, awful things were
happening we do know that 70% of all marine species died off. Theories about anoxia
(oxygen depletion) are high on the list, as less oxygen in the water would explain the
death rate of marine life. At this same time, trees were really coming into their own and
could have contributed to the anoxia. Most of the evidence, however, points to global
cooling although the cause of it is still unknown.

5. 5
End of the Ordovician
 445 Million Years Ago

The oldest, and the 3rd largest, this Event lost 57% of all genera. Because its so long ago,
it's very difficult to resolve what happened here. Most life was in the ocean at this point
on the timeline, and we can only know of the ones that actually left fossils. Ancient
creatures like the jellyfish tend not to leave fossil records, so who really knows how
many animals actually died. Climate change is the most likely culprit - and speculation
about the location of Pangea at the time leads to a theory that it its location over the South
Pole would have created the largest glacial landmass in the history of the planet. All that
ice locked on land would have lowered sea levels dramatically. This would have made
living very difficult for all the shallow marine life --- which was pretty much all of it at
this time.

Extinct in Our Lifetime — 11 Species We've

Lost Forever
Today is Endangered Species Day. Check out some of
the beautiful creatures we've lost recently – in just the
last 40 years. And see what you can do to prevent
more extinctions.
By Julie Gerstein
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Charles H. Smith / U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

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Golden Toad (1989)

The golden toad is not the only species to disappear in the past 40 years, but it might just be the brightest. This
fluorescent amphibian was found in the high-altitude ridges of Costa Rica, but thanks to pollution, global warming and
fungal skin infections, the species became extinct in 1989.

Read on to find out about 10 other incredible species we've lost in the last several decades.
Helle V. Goldman and Jon Winther-Hansen

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Zanzibar Leopard (1996)

One of several subspecies of leopard, the Zanzibar leopard made its home on the Zanzibar archipelago of Tanzania.
It's still unclear whether this large cat is technically extinct — there are occasional unconfirmed sightings.

Cause of extinction: Locals believed the leopards were kept by witches, and aggressively hunted them. The animals
were seen as evil predators that must be exterminated — and even the government was in on the campaign. In the
mid-'90s there was a short-lived conservation effort but it was deemed too little, too late.
Paul E. Baker / U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

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Po'ouli (2004)
A native of Maui, Hawaii, the Po'ouli, or Black-faced Honeycreeper, was only discovered in the 1970s. The birds
inhabited the southwestern slope of Haleakala volcano. But the population declined rapidly, and by 1997 there were
only three known Po'ouli left. Efforts to mate the remaining birds failed and the species was formally declared extinct
seven years later.

Cause of extinction: Habitat loss, along with disease, predators and a decline in its food source — native tree snails
— are all seen as reasons for the bird's demise.
A. E. Holt-White via Wikimedia Commons

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Madeiran Large White (2007)

The stunning Madeiran Large White butterfly was found in the valleys of the Laurisilva forests on Portugal’s Madeira
Islands. The butterfly's closest relative, the Large White, is common across Europe, Africa and Asia.

Cause of extinction: Loss of habitat due to construction as well as pollution from agricultural fertilizers are two major
causes of the species' decline.
E. Theriot / U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

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Tecopa Pupfish (1982)

The Tecopa pupfish, a native of the hot springs of the Mojave Desert, has the distinction of being the first animal
declared extinct under the provisions of the Endangered Species Act of 1973. The pupfish's decline was precipitated
when its natural habitat was encroached upon by developers.

Cause of extinction: Destruction of natural habitat.

A. Cabrera via Wikimedia Commons

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Pyrenean Ibex (2000)

The last Pyrenean ibex died in 2000. However, a cloned ibex, created from skin samples taken from the last
Pyrenean ibex, was birthed in 2009. It died shortly after birth from lung complications.

Cause of extinction: Hunting of the ibex had caused the animal's numbers to seriously dwindle and conservationists
blame the Spanish government for failing to act in time to save it.
Sideog / Flickr

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West African Black Rhinoceros (2006)

The majestic West African black rhino was declared extinct in 2006, after conservationists failed to find any in their
last remaining habitat in Cameroon. The West African black rhino was one of four subspecies of rhinoceros.

Cause of extinction: Poachers hunted the rhino for its horn, which is believed by some in Yemen and China to
possess aphrodisiacal powers.
National Fish and Wildlife Foundation

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Javan Tiger (1979)

Similar in appearance to the Sumatran tiger, the Javan tiger was native to the Indonesian island of Java. In the 1800s
they were so common they were considered pests by island natives, but as the island was developed their population
dwindled. By the 1950s, only 20 tigers remained.

Cause of extinction: Loss of habitat and agricultural development led to severe population decline. Conservation
efforts in the 1940s and '50s were unsuccessful due to a lack of adequate land and planning.
M. Stafford / www.parrotsinternational.org

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Spix's Macaw (2004)

Spix's Macaw, also called the Little Blue Macaw, was known for its beautiful blue feathers. While some still exist in
captivity, these tiny blue birds are extinct in the wild.

Cause of extinction: Habitat destruction and illegal trapping and trade contributed to the macaw's dwindling
numbers.

Jean-Jacques Argoud via Wikimedia Commons

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Round Island Burrowing Boa (1975)

Native to Round Island, a tiny island off the coast of Mauritius, the Round Island Burrowing Boa preferred to live on
the topsoil layers of volcanic slopes. It was once found on several other islands around Mauritius, but its population
had dwindled by the 1940s, and it could only be found on Round Island after 1949. It was last seen in 1975.

Cause of extinction: The introduction of non-native species of rabbits and goats to the island destroyed vegetation
and upset the boa’s habitat.