The Importance of Biodiversity

Biodiversity: the variety of life in a particular ecosystem

Species Richness: the number of species in an area

Extinction

The end of an organism

The moment of extinction refers to the death of the last individual of a species, even if the capacity to breed has been lost before this time

10. Tyrannosaurus Rex

Extinct ~65 million years ago

Bipedal carnivore Fossils have been

found in North American rock formations

Probable C.O.E.: Starvation

9. Quagga: ½ Zebra, ½ Horse Last Quagga died on

Aug 12, 1883 at the Artis Magistra Zoo in Amsterdam

A subspecies of the African Zebra

Was the first extinct animal to have its DNA studied

Probable COE: Hunting

8. Thylacine: Tasmanian Tiger

Native to Austrailia Extinct since 1936 The largest known carnivorous

marsupial in modern times. Probable COE: (Still spotted)

Hunting, disease, competition

7. Sea Cow ~ 8 meters long and weighed 3 tonnes Toothless with two flat white bones Fossil record indicate that around 1770 Sea

Cow numbers decreased as human populace increased around the Bering Sea

Probable COE: Hunting

7. Sea Cow

6. Irish Deer aka Giant Deer Largest Deer in

Earth's history Carbon dating

reveals this animal became extinct 7 700 years ago

7 feet to the shoulders

12 foot Antler span Probable COE:

maladaptation

5. Caspian Tiger/Persian Tiger Was located in Iran, Iraq, Afganistan, Turkey,

Mongolia and Kazakhstan Recently extinct (1970) Probable COE:

Destruction of Habitat

4. The Golden Toad Discovered in 1966 Native to Costa Rica Last seen in 1989 Colouration due to

sexual selection Assumed extinct, but

the search continues Probable COE:

Destruction of habitat

Erratic weather

Invasive species

3. Passenger Pigeon 200 years ago, P. Pigeons

were the most common bird in North America

Brutally exploited The last Passenger

Pigeon died alone at the Cincinnati Zoo at 1 pm, Sept 1st, 1914

Probable COE: Pigeon meat was cheap

to buy Loss of habitat

2. Woolly Mammoth

Probably lived in North America and Eurasia

Died off around 8000 BCE

Height: 9.2 feet Weight: 8 tonnes Probable COE:

Climate change

1. Dodo Flightless bird that lived on the island of

Mauritius. Related to doves & pigeons 1 meter tall, 44 lbs Nested on the ground Probable COE:

Hunting Invasive species