Have you heard of the sixth extinction? Throughout the life of planet Earth there have been five mass extinctions that wiped out 90 percent of the species that inhabited the Earth at that time. They occurred in specific periods, in an unusual way and simultaneously.
The first great extinction occurred 443 million years ago and wiped out 86 percent of species, it is believed to have been caused by a supernova explosion. The second one took place 367 million years ago due to a set of events, but mainly it was the appearance of land plants. This caused the extinction of 82 percent of life.
The third great extinction was 251 million years ago caused by unprecedented volcanic activity, killing 96% of species. The fourth extinction occurred 210 million years ago, caused by climate change that radically raised the Earth's temperature and killed 76 percent of life. The fifth and most recent mass extinction was the one that wiped out the dinosaurs, 65 million years ago.
So, what is the sixth extinction? Well, currently, the rate of disappearance of species is vertiginous, about 100 times faster than normal, and everything seems to be caused by a single species, Homo sapiens sapiens or human.
In this article on our site we will discuss 10 animals that have become extinct because of human beings in the last 100 years.
1. Katydid
The katydid (Neduba extinct) was an insect belonging to the order Orthoptera that was considered extinct in 1996. Its extinction began when humans began to industrialize California, where this species was endemic. The katydid is one of the species extinct by humans without their knowledge of its existence until it became extinct
two. Japanese Wolf
The Japanese wolf (Canis lupus hodophilax), was a subspecies of the gray wolf (Canis lupus) endemic toJapan It is believed that the extinction of this species was not only due to the persistence of rabies, but also the intensive deforestation carried out by human beings, ended up annihilating to the species, whose last living specimen died in 1906.
3. Stephens Island Wren
This wren (Xenicus lyalli) is another of the animals extinct by man, specifically by the gentleman who worked at the Stephens Island lighthouse (New Zealand). This man had a cat (the only feline in the place) that he allowed to roam freely around the island, without taking into account that his cat, without a doubt, was going to hunt. The Stephens Island wren was a flightless bird, very easy prey for the cat whose caretaker took no action to prevent his cat from eating them
4. Pyrenean ibex or bucardo
The last specimen of Pyrenean ibex or Capra pyrenaica pyrenaica died on January 6, 2000. One of the reasons for their extinction was due to mass hunting and, probably, competition for food resources with other ungulates and domestic animals.
On the other hand, the bucardo was the first extinct species successfully cloned after its extinction. However, "Celia", bucardo's clone, died a few minutes after birth, due to a lung condition.
Despite the efforts invested in its conservation, such as the creation of the Ordesa National Park in 1918, nothing was done to make it the Pyrenean ibex was not another of the animals extinct by man.
5. Scrub Acanthisite
This species of passerine, the scrub acanthisita or Xenicus longipes, was declared extinct by the IUCN in 1972. The reason for its extinction is the introduction of invasive mammals, such as rats and mustelids, by humans in their place of origin, New Zealand
6. Western Black Rhino
This rhinoceros, Diceros bicornis longipes, was declared extinct in 2011. Another of the species extinct due to human activity, specifically poaching Some conservation strategies carried out at the beginning of the 20th century caused an increase in the population in the 30s. After that, everything went into decline.
7. Tarpan
The tarpan, Equus ferus ferus, was a species of wild horse that inhabited EurasiaThe species was killed by hunting and declared extinct in 1909. At present, attempts are being made to "create" an animal similar to the tarpan from their evolutionary descendants (domestic bulls and horses).
8. Berber Lion
The Berber lion ¸ Panthera leo leo, became extinct in the wild in the 1940s, but there are still living hybrid specimens in zoosThe decline of this species began when the Sahara area began to turn into a desert, but it is believed that it was the ancient Egyptians through deforestation, who pushed this species to extinction, despite being a sacred animal
9. The Javan Tiger
Declared extinct in 1979, the Java tiger, Panthera tigris sondaica, lived undisturbed on the island of Java untilarrival of human beings , which through deforestation and thus habitat destruction , drove this species to extinction.
10. Baiji
The baiji or Chinese river dolphinRiver dolphin, Lipotes vexillifer, was declared missing in 2017. Again, the hand of the human being is the cause of the annihilation of another species, through overfishing, the construction of dams and pollution
The sixth extinction
It is scary to know that some of the species on this list were discovered after the last specimen had died. Species disappear without us knowing what function they fulfilled on the planet, or what the consequences will be for everyone.
The human being, our fellow human beings, with a highly developed brain, knowing the damage it does and its consequences, continues in its eagerness to destroy barbaricallyto the rest of the beings that live on planet Earth.
