List of Asian species extinct in the Holocene

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is a list of Asian species extinct in the Holocene that covers extinctions from the Holocene epoch, a geologic epoch that began about 11,650 years before present (about 9700 BCE)[a] and continues to the present day.[1]

Map of Asia

This list includes the Asian continent and its surrounding islands, including Cyprus. The three Transcaucasian republics of Georgia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan are included in the List of European species extinct in the Holocene, even though their territory may fall partially or fully in Asia depending on the definition of Europe considered. Species from Western New Guinea (Indonesia), the Aru Islands (Indonesia), and Christmas Island (Australia) are listed in the List of Australia-New Guinea species extinct in the Holocene.

Many extinction dates are unknown due to a lack of relevant information.

Mammals (class Mammalia)

Elephant-like mammals (order Proboscidea)

Elephants and mammoths (family Elephantidae)

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Syrian elephant Elephas maximus asurus Mesopotamia Archaeological evidence and historical records imply local extinction caused by hunting and deforestation in the 8th century BCE, with war elephants from the 3rd century BCE onward being imported from South Asia. However, the lack of evidence of Asian elephants in the Near East between 200,000 and 3,500 years ago has led some authors to propose that Bronze Age elephants were actually introduced by people to provide themselves with exotic game and ivory. If true, this would invalidate the subspecies E. m. asurus.[2]
Javan elephant Elephas maximus sondaicus Java, Indonesia; introduced to Sulu, Philippines Most recent remains in Mauk, Indonesia dated to 1350.[3] It was introduced to Sulu in the 14th century, where it survived until its extermination in 1850. However, the extant Bornean elephant has been suggested to have originated from Sulu stock and not be native to the island. If true, this would make the subspecies E. m. sondaicus synonymous with E. m. borneensis and not globally extinct.[4]
Woolly mammoth Mammuthus primigenius Northern Eurasia and North America Most recent remains in Wrangel Island, Russia dated to 1795-1675 BCE.[5]
Cyprus dwarf elephant Palaeoloxodon cypriotes Cyprus Most recent remains dated to 10699-7299 BCE.[6]
Asian straight-tusked elephant Palaeoloxodon namadicus South and East Asia The date 7330-6250 BCE was obtained from carbonaceous clay near Palaeoloxodon remains in the Baneta Formation of the Narmada Valley, India, suggesting survival into the Holocene, though no direct datation was taken from the bones.[7] It was also suggested that representations of elephants in art from northern China depict Palaeoloxodon rather than Asian elephants as commonly assumed,[8] but other authors disagree with this assessment.[9]
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Sea cows (order Sirenia)

Dugongs (family Dugongidae)

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Steller's sea cow Hydrodamalis gigas Bering Sea The last population was discovered in the Commander Islands in 1741 and heavily hunted for meat and leather until it disappeared by 1768. The hunting of sea otters leading to a proliferation of Strongylocentrotus sea urchins that ate the kelp that the sea cows depended on has been suggested as an additional cause.[10]
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Lagomorphs (order Lagomorpha)

Rabbits and hares (family Leporidae)

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Common name Scientific name Range Comments
Don hare Lepus timidus tanaiticus[11] Russia Gradually replaced by the extant mountain hare south to north until becoming extinct during the Subboreal, 3050-550 BCE.[12]
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Rodents (order Rodentia)

Old World rats and mice (family Muridae)

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Alor Island giant rat Alormys aplini Alor Island, Indonesia Most recent remains at Tabubung 4 dated to 62 BCE - 87 CE. The extinction coincides with a period of aridification, deforestation, and extinction of other giant rat species in the island.[13]
Sierra Madre giant cloud rat Carpomys dakal Luzon, Philippines Most recent remains dated to 2050-50 BCE. Probably disappeared due to increased aridity and deforestation.[14]
Buhler's coryphomys Coryphomys buehleri Timor island, Indonesia & East Timor Most recent remains dated to around 50 BCE.[15]
Timor giant rat Coryphomys musseri Timor island, Indonesia & East Timor Most recent remains dated to around 50 BCE.[15]
Sierra Madre bushy-tailed cloud rat Crateromys ballik Luzon, Philippines Most recent remains dated to 2050-50 BCE. Probably disappeared due to increased aridity and deforestation.[14]
Miyako long-tailed rat Diplothrix miyakoensis Miyako Island, Ryukyu, Japan Most recent remains dated to around 9050-8050 BCE.[15]
Hooijer's giant rat Hooijeromys nusantenggara Lesser Sunda Islands, Indonesia Most recent remains dated to around 1050 BCE.[15]
Milimonggamys juliae Sumba Island, Indonesia Most recent remains dated to 54-222 CE.[15]
Niviventer sp. Ishigaki Island, Japan Most recent remains dated to 2050-50 BCE.[15]
Verhoeven's giant tree rat Papagomys theodorverhoeveni Flores, Indonesia Most recent remains to around 1050 BCE.[15]
Raksasamys tikusbesar Sumba Island, Indonesia Most recent remains dated to 1935-1700 BCE.[15]
Flores cave rat Spelaeomys florensis Flores, Indonesia Most recent remains dated to the Holocene.[16]
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Possibly extinct
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Ilin Island cloudrunner Crateromys paulus Mindoro or Ilin Island, Philippines Only known from one specimen collected in 1953, generally believed to be from Ilin Island but this is not certain, and could be Mindoro or another nearby location. Later searches in Ilin and Mindoro repeatedly failed to find evidence of this species. If native to Ilin, it could have been threatened by deforestation as the island has no primary forest left in the present.[17]
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Primates (order Primates)

Great apes (family Hominidae)

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Mainland orangutan Pongo sp. Southern China and Indochina Holocene remains are known from China, Vietnam, Laos,[18][19] and possibly Cambodia,[20] while the existence of an indigenous, onomatopoeic name in Vietnam (Duoi U'Oi) and indigenous folklore in Peninsular Malaysia suggest survival into historical times.[18] It possibly disappeared as a result of hunting and habitat destruction for agriculture, though evidence is scarce.[19]
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Gibbons (family Hylobatidae)

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Imperial gibbon Nomascus imperialis Chongqing[21] and possibly Shaanxi, China Most recent remains found in Chang'an, in the tomb of Lady Xia, grandmother of Qin Shi Huang, who died around 240 BCE. Possibly declined due to deforestation and capture of individuals to become pets.[22] Historical records mention gibbons being caught near Chang'an until the 10th century, and living in Shaanxi province until the 18th century.[23]
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Bats (order Chiroptera)

Megabats (family Pteropodidae)

Locally extinct
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Common name Scientific name Range Comments
Panay golden-crowned flying fox Population of the giant golden-crowned flying fox (Acerodon jubatus) Panay, Philippines Extinct population named as a distinct species (A. lucifer) in the 19th century,[24] but later included in A. jubatus.[25]
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Vesper bats (family Vespertilionidae)

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Common name Scientific name Range Comments
Gloomy tube-nosed bat Murina tenebrosa Tsushima and possibly Yakushima, Japan Last collected in 1962. Suggested as a possible synonym for the Ussuri tube-nosed bat (M. ussuriensis).[26]
Sturdee's pipistrelle Pipistrellus sturdeei Haha-jima, Bonin Islands, Japan Only known from the type specimen collected in 1889.[27]
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Carnivorans (order Carnivora)

Cats (family Felidae)

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Common name Scientific name Range Comments Pictures
Eurasian cave lion Panthera spelaea Northern Eurasia and Beringia Most recent remains at Kokorevo 2, Upper Yenisei, Russia dated to 11350-9600 BCE.[28]
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Locally extinct
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Formosan clouded leopard Population of the clouded leopard (Neofelis nebulosa) Taiwan Last confirmed record in 1983.[29] Though named as a subspecies on the basis of a stuffed specimen in 1862 (N. n. brachyura), later morphological and genetic studies invalidate this distinction.[30]
Bali tiger Population of the Sunda Island tiger (Panthera tigris sondaica) Bali, Indonesia Last confirmed individual killed in 1937.[31] Named as a separate subspecies in 1912 (P. t. balica), but later included in P. t. sondaica on genetic grounds.[30]
Bornean tiger Population of the Sunda Island tiger (Panthera tigris sondaica) Borneo and Palawan, Philippines[32] A navicular from Borneo was dated to 8550-1050 BCE. Survival into more recent times has been proposed on the basis of teeth and skins owned by indigenous peoples, local names, folklore, and alleged sightings including two photographs taken in 1975. However, most authors discount these remains as imports from outside Borneo, and the photographs as hoaxes.[33]
Javan tiger Population of the Sunda Island tiger (Panthera tigris sondaica) Java, Indonesia The last confirmed individual was killed at the Mount Halimun Salak National Park in 1984,[31] though a tiger was sighted near Sukabumi Selatan in 2019 and one recovered hair was identified as closer genetically to a Javan museum specimen than to tigers from Sumatra, southeast Asia, and Russia.[34] It was named as a subspecies in 1844, but genetic research indicates that it is not different enough from the extant Sumatran tiger, and as a result, P. t. sondaica is not extinct.[30]
Caspian tiger Population of the mainland Asian tiger (Panthera tigris tigris) Western and Central Asia The last known wild individual was killed in Turkey in 1970, and the last in captivity in Iran during the 1979 Revolution.[31] Though named as the subspecies P. t. virgata in 1815, genetic evidence indicates that it is not different enough from other tigers of the Asian mainland to warrant separate status. It was closest to the extant Siberian tiger.[30] A reintroduction project using Siberian tigers began in the Ile-Balkhash State Nature Reserve of Kazakhstan in 2024.[35]
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Extinct in the wild
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South China tiger Population of the mainland Asian tiger (Panthera tigris tigris) Southern China Last recorded in the wild around 2000; survives in captivity.[36] Though named as the subspecies P. t. amoyensis in 1905, genetic evidence indicates that it is not different enough from other mainland tigers to warrant separate status.[30]
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Genets and civets (family Viverridae)

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Cypriot genet Genetta plesictoides Cyprus Most recent remains dated to 9050 BCE.[15]
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Possibly extinct
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Malabar large-spotted civet Viverra civettina Western Ghats, India Last collected in 1989.[37]
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Dogs (family Canidae)

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Hokkaidō wolf Canis lupus hattai Hokkaidō, Sakhalin, Kamchatka, Iturup and Kunashir[38] Exterminated by 1889 as part of a plan to use Hokkaidō for horse and cattle ranching.[39]
Japanese wolf Canis lupus hodophilax Honshū, Shikoku, and Kyūshū, Japan Last confirmed individual killed in 1905, shortly after a rabies epidemic ravaged the population.[39]
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Possibly extinct
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Common name Scientific name Range Comments Pictures
Ussuri dhole Cuon alpinus alpinus Western Sayan Mountains to Sikhote-Alin and North Korea Last recorded in the Western Sayan in 2008.[40]
Tien Shan dhole Cuon alpinus hesperius Pamir to Altai Mountains Last recorded in Altai in the 1970s. Estimated extinct in the former Soviet Union but could survive outside of it.[40] Scat from a dhole of unknown subspecies was found in the Bek-Tosot Conservancy of southern Kyrgyzstan in 2022.[41]
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Eared seals (family Otariidae)

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Japanese sea lion Zalophus japonicus Japanese archipelago and Korea Last confirmed record in the Liancourt Rocks in 1951, with unconfirmed sightings reaching to 1975.[42]
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Martens, polecats, otters, badgers, and weasels (family Mustelidae)

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Hokkaidō otter Lutra lutra whiteleyi Hokkaidō and southern Kuril Islands[43] Last known individual killed at the Shiretoko Peninsula in 1950.[44]
Japanese otter Lutra nippon Honshū, Shikoku, and Kyūshū, Japan Last confirmed sighting in Shikoku in 1983.[43]
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Odd-toed ungulates (order Perissodactyla)

Horses and allies (family Equidae)

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Tarpan Equus ferus ferus Iberian Peninsula to Western Siberia;[45] Anatolia?[46] Historically recorded in Western Siberia until the 18th century. Analysis of bones found at archaeological sites from the Chalcolithic period (c. 3000-2000 BCE) show wild horses in this area belonged to the subspecies E. f. ferus and not to Przewalski's horse (E. f. przewalskii).[45] Tarpan drawn by Charles Hamilton Smith from eyewitness testimonies (1841).
Syrian wild ass Equus hemionus hemippus Fertile Crescent Last known individual died in captivity at Vienna Zoo in 1927. Probably disappeared from the wild around the same time.[47]
European wild ass Equus hemionus hydruntinus Southern Europe to northern Iran[48] Most recent remains at Çatalhöyük, Turkey dated to 748-406 BCE.[49]
Lena horse Equus lenensis Northern Siberia Most recent remains at Bolshoy Lyakhovsky Island dated to 320-220 BCE. Horse remains of undetermined affiliation were also found in an Inuit site at Cape Baranov dating to the 8th-9th century CE. The cold-adapted Yakutian horse was speculated to be a descendant of the Lena horse, but genetic evidence shows it descends from domestic horses introduced from Central Asia in the Middle Ages.[50] Nevertheless, the Yakutian horse is used as proxy for the Lena horse in Pleistocene Park.[51]
Ovodov horse Equus ovodovi Southern Siberia to northern China Most recent remains in China dated to 1666-1506 BCE.[52]
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Extinct in the wild
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Przewalski's horse Equus ferus przewalskii Central and eastern Asian steppe Last confirmed sighting in the wild in the Gobi Desert in 1969. It was reintroduced to the Gobi and at Hustai National Park, Mongolia in 1992.[53]
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Locally extinct
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African wild ass Equus africanus North Africa, Horn, Levant, and Arabian Peninsula Most recent remains at Hili 8, United Arab Emirates dated to 3000 BCE.[54]
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Tapirs (family Tapiridae)

Locally extinct
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Bornean tapir Population of the Malayan tapir (Tapirus indicus) Borneo Most recent remains at the Niah Caves, Sarawak dated to c. 6000 BCE. The Bornean tapir was similar in size or slightly smaller than other populations. Possible folk memory of the animal was documented in the island in the 19th century.[55]
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Rhinoceroses (family Rhinocerotidae)

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Woolly rhinoceros Coelodonta antiquitatis Northern Eurasia Environmental DNA last detected in permafrost dating to 8050-7650 BCE near the Kolyma river, Russia.[56]
Chinese rhinoceros Rhinoceros sinensis Southern China[57] Most recent remains dated to the Early Holocene (12-8,500 years ago) of Panlong Cave, Guangxi.[58] However, this species has been used as a wastebasket taxon in the past and remains of Merck's rhinoceros and Sumatran rhinoceros have been misassigned to it, urging its revision. Some authors consider R. sinensis a synonym of the Indian rhinoceros (R. unicornis).[59]
Vietnamese rhinoceros Rhinoceros sondaicus annamiticus Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, and eastern Thailand Last individual killed at the Cat Tien National Park, Vietnam in 2010.[60]
Lesser Indian rhinoceros Rhinoceros sondaicus inermis Northeastern India, Bangladesh, and Myanmar Last confirmed individual killed around 1888 in the Sundarbans. Survival into the 20th century is doubtful, certainly not past 1925.[61]
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Possibly extinct
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Northern Sumatran rhinoceros Dicerorhinus sumatrensis lasiotis India, Bhutan, Bangladesh, and Myanmar Confirmed extinct in the three former countries but could survive in the Lassai Tract of Myanmar.[62]
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Even-toed ungulates (order Artiodactyla)

Camels and llamas (family Camelidae)

Extinct in the wild
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Common name Scientific name Range Comments Pictures
Bactrian camel Camelus bactrianus Central and eastern Asian steppe[63] Genetic evidence indicates that the domestic Bactrian camel and the extant, more desert-adapted wild Bactrian camel (C. ferus) from East Turkestan split over one million years ago. In consequence, the latter species cannot be the wild ancestor of the former, and the unknown ancestor of C. bactrianus must have become extinct at some point after the species was domesticated around 4000-3000 BCE.[64]
Dromedary Camelus dromedarius Arabian Peninsula Most recent remains of the wild form at Al Sufouh, United Arab Emirates, dated to 404 BCE.[65] The species survives as domestic and feral populations.
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Pigs (family Suidae)

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Cebu warty pig Sus cebifrons cebifrons Cebu, Philippines Described from skulls collected in Cebu island, where the species Sus cebifrons is now extinct, but lack of other remains makes the subspecies distinction with other Philippine islands populations dubious.[66] The whole species is threatened by habitat fragmentation caused by logging and agriculture, hunting pressure, and hybridization with domestic pigs.[67]
Sus sp. Miyako Island, Japan Most recent remains dated to 9050-8050 BCE.[15]
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Hippopotamuses (family Hippopotamidae)

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Cyprus dwarf hippopotamus Hippopotamus minor Cyprus Most recent remains dated to 10699-7299 BCE.[6]
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Locally extinct
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Common hippopotamus Hippopotamus amphibius Subsaharan Africa, Egypt, and the Levantine coast[68] Disappeared from the Southern Levant during the Iron Age (1200-586 BCE). Being a large semiaquatic species, the hippopotamus was particularly vulnerable to habitat fragmentation and loss caused by the expanding human population.[69]
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Chinese river dolphins (family Lipotidae)

Possibly extinct
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Baiji Lipotes vexillifer Middle and lower Yangtze River, China Last confirmed sighting in 2004; unconfirmed reports and sightings, including photographs and video have continued, with the most recent in 2024.[70] The species declined as a result of habitat loss by water development and construction, hunting, incidental mortality caused by fishing and vessel strikes, sedimentation from poor land practices, and pollution.[71]
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True deer (family Cervidae)

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Miyako roe deer Capreolus tokunagai Miyako Island, Ryukyu, Japan Most recent remains dated to 9050-8050 BCE.[15]
Irish elk Megaloceros giganteus Western Europe to southern Siberia Most recent remains at Kamyshlov, Russia dated to 5845-5673 BCE.[72]
Schomburgk's deer Rucervus schomburgki Central Thailand Last known animals in the wild were killed in 1932 near Sai Yoke and Kwae Yai, and the last in captivity was killed in 1938. Declined in the 19th century because of habitat loss as its wet grassland habitat was turned into rice fields for export. It was also hunted for meat during the monsoon season, and to use its antlers in traditional medicine.[73]
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Extinct in the wild
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Pere David's deer Elaphurus davidianus China proper Last collected in Hainan in 1868. Possible last records in the continent in Qidong, Jiangsu, around 1796-1820, and in Hainan in 1904.[74] A captive herd survived in the walled Nanyuang Royal Hunting Garden of Beijing from the Yuan Dynasty to the late 19th century, when some individuals were traded to Europe. The Nanyuang herd was either exterminated after a flood in 1895 or during the 1900 Boxer Rebellion.[74] Animals from British zoos were released in protected areas of Beijing in 1985 and Dafeng in 1987, from where other captive herds were established later in Shishou and Yuanyang. In 1998, deer from Shishou escaped during severe flooding and established four free-ranging populations in Hubei and Henan.[75][76]
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Cattle, goats, antelopes, and others (family Bovidae)

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Bubal hartebeest Alcelaphus buselaphus buselaphus North Africa and Southern Levant Disappeared from the Southern Levant during the Iron Age (1200-586 BCE).[69]
Caucasian wisent Bison bonasus caucasicus Caucasus, Kurdistan,[77] and Northern Iran Present in eastern Turkey until the Iron Age.[78]
Steppe bison Bison priscus Northern Eurasia and North America Most recent, confirmed remains were dated to 6870-6950 BCE near the Popigai River in the Taymyr Peninsula of Russia,[50] and environmental DNA of bison was recovered from permafrost in northeastern Siberia dating to 5050-3800 BCE.[56] Partial B. priscus remains are hard to distinguish anatomically from B. bonasus, which muddles the timeframe of its extinction in Europe and Western Siberia; often the species B. priscus was assigned to Late Pleistocene remains and B. bonasus to Holocene remains without further discussion.[50] However B. priscus is both genetically distinct and known to have survived into the middle Holocene of North America.[79] Remains of either B. priscus or B. bonasus were dated in the Angara River basin to 2550-2440 BCE,[80] and a small bison persisted in the Baikal region until the 7th-10th century CE (considered B. priscus by Boeskorov[50] and B. bonasus by Sipko[81]).
Indian aurochs Bos primigenius namadicus Indian subcontinent Most recent remains dated to 2200 BCE in Karnataka, India. The Indian aurochs was independently domesticated and is the originator of the zebu cattle.[82]
Eurasian aurochs Bos primigenius primigenius Europe and Western Asia Present in the Southern Levant until the Iron Age (1200-585 BCE),[69] and the Turkey-Syria border until the Late Middle Ages.[78] It possibly survived in Kamensk-Uralsky, Russia until the 16th or 17th century, and in Novokuznetsk until the 18th.[83][better source needed] The Eurasian aurochs was domesticated in the Turkey-Syria border region in the ninth millennium BCE, originating the domestic breeds of taurine cattle.[84]
East Asian aurochs Bos primigenius sinensis Southern Siberia to northeastern China Traditionally considered the same as B. p. primigenius on morphological grounds, but revealed to be genetically distinct.[85] Remains near Lake Baikal were dated to 3020-2960 BCE[86] and in the Songnen Plain of China to c. 1640 BCE.[85] In the Mongolian Altai, the aurochs is depicted in rock art along with the wild yak until the mid-Bronze Age, when both are replaced by the domestic yak.[87] It disappeared due to hunting, habitat loss, and capture of females to supplement domestic taurine cattle herds, which were introduced from the west. Domestic hybrid descendants survive in China, particularly in Tibet, Chamdo, and Yushu.[85] It is likely that many remains from northern China that have been identified as bison[88] or domestic cattle actually belong to aurochs and that it survived for longer than assumed. The anonymous author of the Classic of Poetry (11th-7th century BCE) seems aware of the aurochs's existence.[89]
Cebu tamaraw Bubalus cebuensis Cebu, Philippines Described from a partial skeleton from either the Late Pleistocene or the Holocene.[90]
Bubalus grovesi South Sulawesi, Indonesia Most recent remains dated to the Middle or Late Holocene.[91]
Short-horned water buffalo Bubalus mephistopheles South, central, and east China Most recent remains at Gaoling, Xi'an dated to 1750-1650 BCE. The domestic water buffalo now present in China is not a descendant of B. mephistopheles but was introduced from Southeast Asia.[92] The si (兕) mentioned in the Classic of Poetry and the Shuowen Jiezi (c. 100 BCE) has been suggested to be a wild water buffalo.[89]
Bubalus palaeokerabau Java, Indonesia Most recent remains at Braholo Cave dated to the late Pleistocene or early Holocene.[93]
Queen of Sheba's gazelle Gazella bilkis Taiz, Yemen Only known from five animals hunted in 1951.[94]
Saudi gazelle Gazella saudiya Arabian Peninsula Last recorded in 1970. It was hunted to extinction.[95]
African giant buffalo Syncerus antiquus Africa and Arabia Most recent remains at Sa'adah, Yemen dated to 4390-4210 BCE.[96]
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Possibly extinct
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Kouprey Bos sauveli Southern Vietnam to Yunnan, China[97] Last confirmed record in 1969. It was hunted for its meat, skull and horns.[98]
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Extinct in the wild
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Lowland wisent Bison bonasus bonasus Western Europe to southern Siberia Present during the Holocene in the southern Urals, Western Siberia, the Kuznetsk Depression, Altai and Baikal regions[81] (if the latter wasn't B. priscus[50]). The subspecies became globally extinct in the wild after the last wild animals were hunted in Poland during World War I, but survived in captivity.[99] It was reintroduced to the Altai in 1982-1984.[81]
Arabian oryx Oryx leucoryx Arabian Peninsula Extinct in the wild in 1972 and reintroduced in Jiddat al-Harasis, Oman in 1980.[100]
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Locally extinct
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Addax Addax nasomaculatus Sahara Desert and Arabian Peninsula Possibly depicted in Neolithic rock art of Jordan.[101]
Muskox Ovibos moschatus Northern Eurasia and North America Most recent remains in the Taymyr Peninsula, Russia dated to 615-555 BCE.[86] It was reintroduced to the Bikada River area in the same region in 1974.[102]
Lesser kudu Tragelaphus imberbis East Africa and western Arabian Peninsula No skeletal remains known but appears in Holocene rock art from Saudi Arabia and Jordan[101] in numbers and detail suggestive of being a native species to the area.[54] Recent presence in the Arabian Peninsula is controversial. In 1967, a pair of horns were claimed to have been taken from an animal shot in Jabal Halmayn, Yemen; another was shot in Nuqrah, Saudi Arabia in 1968. Some authors believe both were escapees from private collections,[103] others that the distance between the two locations is larger than it would be expected for introduced specimens.[54]
Greater kudu Tragelaphus strepsiceros Southern to eastern Africa and Arabia Depicted in Holocene petroglyphs of two Arabian locations.[96]
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Birds (class Aves)

Ostriches and fossil relatives (order Struthioniformes)

Ostriches (family Struthionidae)

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East Asian ostrich Pachystruthio anderssoni[104] Tuva, Transbaikalia, Mongolia, and northern China[105] to the Yellow River[106] Eggshell fragments most recently dated to 7600-6245 BCE in Shabarakh-usu and Barun Daban, Mongolia.[107][b]
Arabian ostrich Struthio camelus syriacus Near East and Arabian Peninsula Last confirmed individual killed in Jubail, Saudi Arabia around 1941; there was also a second-hand report of a dying animal north of Petra, Jordan in 1966. Its closest relative, the North African ostrich, was introduced as a substitute in Saudi Arabia in the 1990s.[109]
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Landfowl (order Galliformes)

Pheasants and allies (family Phasianidae)

Possibly extinct
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Himalayan quail Ophrysia superciliosa Mussoorie, Uttarakhand, India Last collected in 1868. This species was only seen in Mussoorie for a short time period associated with cold weather. This, combined with its long and soft plumage, led to speculation that it was actually native to a more northern area and that it was pushed southwards during unusual weather conditions. The bird was also extremely cryptic, which would make it hard to detect in other areas where it might still be alive.[110]
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Waterfowl (order Anseriformes)

Ducks, geese, and swans (family Anatidae)

Possibly extinct
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Pink-headed duck Rhodonessa caryophyllacea Northern and eastern India, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, and Myanmar Last recorded in Bihar in 1948-1949. It was uncommon and non-migratory despite its vast range. Declined due to trophy hunting, as it was generally not considered good to eat, and habitat destruction.[110]
Crested shelduck Tadorna cristata Primorye, Hokkaido, and South Korea; possibly North Korea and northeastern China Last confirmed record in 1964.[111]
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Pigeons and doves (order Columbiformes)

Pigeons and doves (family Columbidae)

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Ryukyu wood pigeon Columba jouyi Okinawa, Kerama, and Daito Islands, Japan Last recorded on Okinawa in 1904 and on Daito in 1936, after a quick decline. The reason of extinction is unknown.[112]
Bonin wood pigeon Columba versicolor Nakondo Shima and Chichi-jima, Bonin Islands Last recorded in 1889. Likely extinct due to deforestation and predation by introduced rats and cats.[113]
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Possibly extinct
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Catanduanes bleeding heart Gallicolumba luzonica rubiventris Catanduanes, Philippines Described from one specimen collected in 1971. Recent sightings were reported in 2008, but its current status is unknown.[110]
Sulu bleeding-heart Gallicolumba menagei Tawi-tawi, Philippines Described from two individuals collected in 1891, when it was considered extremely rare, but there were unconfirmed local reports in 1995 that it was abundant until the 1970s. Possibly became extinct due to hunting and deforestation.[114]
Negros fruit dove Ptilinopus arcanus Negros Island, Philippines Only known from the type specimen, a female, collected in 1953. Its mate was also shot but the body fell in the underbrush and could not be retrieved. Likely disappeared due to hunting and large escale deforestation of the island.[110]
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Rails and cranes (order Gruiformes)

Rails (family Rallidae)

More information Common name, Scientific name ...
Common name Scientific name Range Comments
Iwo Jima rail Amaurornis cinerea brevipes Naka Iwo Jima and Minami Iwo Jima, Bonin Islands Last recorded in 1925, though the last "official sighting" was in 1911.[110]
Bornean Baillon's crake Porzana pusilla mira Borneo Only collected once in 1912.[110]
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Possibly extinct
More information Common name, Scientific name ...
Common name Scientific name Range Comments Pictures
Sharpe's rail Gallirallus sharpei unknown; possibly Java, Sumatra, or Borneo Last recorded in 1865.[115][better source needed]
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Cranes (family Gruidae)

Locally extinct
More information Common name, Scientific name ...
Common name Scientific name Range Comments Pictures
Australian sarus crane Grus antigone gillae Philippines and northeastern Australia The extirpated Philippine population was described as the subspecies G. a. luzonica on the basis of differences with the Indian (G. a. antigone) and Indochinese subspecies (G. a. sharpii), but genetic studies indicate that it was identical to the Australian subspecies.[116]
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Shorebirds (order Charadriiformes)

Plovers, dotterels, and lapwings (family Charadriidae)

Possibly extinct
More information Common name, Scientific name ...
Common name Scientific name Range Comments Pictures
Javan lapwing Vanellus macropterus Java and possibly Sumatra and Timor All reliable and recent records are from Java, with those from other islands being open to interpretation. The last confirmed record was in 1940, and unconfirmed in 2002. Possibly a migratory species. The causes of extinction are unknown but could have been hunting and habitat degradation.[110]
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Sandpipers (family Scolopacidae)

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Common name Scientific name Range Comments Pictures
Slender-billed curlew Numenius tenuirostris Western Eurasia and North Africa Bred in Kazakhstan and southern Siberia, and wintered in western Morocco and Tunisia. It likely disappeared as a result of habitat alteration in Asia and overhunting in Africa. There have been no confirmed reports worldwide since 2001.[110]
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Buttonquails (family Turnicidae)

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Common name Scientific name Range Comments
Tawi-tawi buttonquail Turnix sylvaticus suluensis Jolo and Tawi-tawi, Philippines Last recorded in the 1950s. It could have disappeared due to severe deforestation and introduced predators.[110]
Turnix sp. Timor Most recent remains dated to 650 CE.[15]
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Boobies, cormorants, and relatives (order Suliformes)

Cormorants and shags (family Phalacrocoracidae)

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Common name Scientific name Range Comments Pictures
Spectacled cormorant Urile perspicillatus Commander Islands and possibly Kamchatka, Russia Last collected in 1840-1850. It was hunted to extinction.[117]
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Pelicans, herons, and ibises (order Pelecaniformes)

Herons (family Ardeidae)

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Common name Scientific name Range Comments Pictures
Bennu heron Ardea bennuides Arabian Peninsula Most recent remains at Umm Al Nar, United Arab Emites, dated to around 2500 BCE. It possibly disappeared due to wetland degradation.[6]
Bonin nankeen night heron Nycticorax caledonicus crassirostris Chichi-jima and Nakōdo-jima, Bonin Islands Last collected in 1889. The cause of extinction is unknown.[110]
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Ibises and spoonbills (family Threskiornithidae)

Locally extinct in the wild
More information Common name, Scientific name ...
Common name Scientific name Range Comments Pictures
Northern bald ibis Geronticus eremita Mediterranean region Last wild individual recorded at Palmyra, Syria in 2014. The birds of this region migrated to Ethiopia and Djibouti in the winter by way of Jordan and eastern Saudi Arabia, where they were hunted and sometimes killed in unprotected electric wires. Another reason for decline was the degradation of habitat in Syria due to aridification, livestock grazing, and firewood collection, along with poisoning by pesticides in Turkey.[118] A semi-wild population survives in Birecik, Turkey where birds range free for part of the year but are recluded and fed at the time of migration.[119]
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Hawks and relatives (order Accipitriformes)

Hawks, eagles, kites, harriers and Old World vultures (family Accipitridae)

More information Common name, Scientific name ...
Common name Scientific name Range Comments
Car Nicobar sparrowhawk Accipiter butleri butleri Car Nicobar, Nicobar Islands Last recorded in 1901. There was an unconfirmed sighting in 1977.[110]
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Owls (order Strigiformes)

True owls (family Strigidae)

Possibly extinct
More information Common name, Scientific name ...
Common name Scientific name Range Comments Images
Siau scops owl Otus siaoensis[120] Siau Island, Indonesia Only known from the holotype collected in 1866, it is sometimes considered a subspecies of the Sulawesi scops owl (Otus manadensis). Likely disappeared due to deforestation.[110]
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Barn-owls (family Tytonidae)

Possibly extinct
More information Common name, Scientific name ...
Common name Scientific name Range Comments
Natuna Bay owl Phodilus badius arixuthus Bunguran Island, Indonesia Known only from the holotype described in 1932.[121] The reasons of extinction are unclear.[110]
Samar bay owl Phodilus badius riverae Samar Island, Philippines Only known from the holotype described in 1927 and lost in the destruction of the Bureau of Science in Manila in 1945. It has been ruled invalid by some authors because the original description (as the full species Phodilus riverae) did not include comparison with other subspecies.[121]
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Hornbills and hoopoes (order Bucerotiformes)

Hornbills (family Bucerotidae)

More information Common name, Scientific name ...
Common name Scientific name Range Comments Pictures
Ticao tarictic hornbill Penelopidis panini ticaensis Ticao Island, Philippines Last recorded in 1971; it likely disappeared due to hunting and widespread deforestation. The subspecies status is uncertain and is sometimes considered a color morph instead.[110]
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Kingfishers and relatives (order Coraciiformes)

Kingfishers (family Alcedinidae)

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Common name Scientific name Range Comments Pictures
Sangihe dwarf kingfisher Ceyx fallax sangirensis Sangihe Island, Indonesia Last recorded in 1997. Likely extinct due to deforestation caused by intense logging and agriculture.[110]
Ryukyu kingfisher Todiramphus cinnamominus miyakoensis Miyako Island, Ryukyu, Japan Only known from the holotype collected in 1887. Its exact nature is suspect, as the island is unsuitable for kingfishers, the bill's sheath is missing from the holotype, and the length of flight feathers noted in the original description may have been an artefact of preservation. Otherwise the type is similar to the Guam kingfisher.[110]
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Woodpeckers and allies (order Piciformes)

Woodpeckers (family Picidae)

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Common name Scientific name Range Comments
Cebu white-bellied woodpecker Dryocopus javensis cebuensis Cebu, Philippines Last recorded in the 1940s or 1950s. It became extinct due to deforestation.[110]
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Parrots (order Psittaciformes)

Old World parrots (family Psittaculidae)

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Common name Scientific name Range Comments Pictures
Cebu hanging parrot Loriculus philippensis chrysonotus Cebu, Philippines The last individuals in captivity died in London in 1943, after being caught in the wild in 1929. The date of extinction in the wild is unclear, but was likely caused by widespread deforestation in the 19th and 20th centuries. 2004 reports likely belonged to other subspecies subsequently introduced to the island.[110]
Siquijor hanging parrot Loriculus philippensis siquijorensis Siquijor, Philippines Last recorded in 1908; a claimed individual collected in 1954 was actually a escaped cage bird. The subspecies likely disappeared due to deforestation and capture for the pet trade.[110]
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Perching birds (order Passeriformes)

Cuckooshrikes (family Campephagidae)

More information Common name, Scientific name ...
Common name Scientific name Range Comments
Cebu bar-bellied cuckooshrike Coracina striata cebuensis Cebu, Philippines Last collected in 1906, with an unconfirmed report in 2000.[110]
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Possibly extinct
More information Common name, Scientific name ...
Common name Scientific name Range Comments Pictures
Cebu blackish cuckooshrike Coracina coerulescens altera Cebu, Philippines Last collected in 1906, with an unconfirmed report in 2000. It likely disappeared due to deforestation.[110]
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Dippers (family Cinclidae)

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Common name Scientific name Range Comments
Cyprus dipper Cinclus cinclus olympicus Cyprus Extinct since 1945.[122]
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True finches (family Fringillidae)

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Common name Scientific name Range Comments Pictures
Bonin grosbeak Carpodacus ferreorostris Chichi-jima, Bonin Islands Last collected in 1828; claims of survival until 1890 are not substantiated. Likely disappeared because of deforestation and predation by introduced rats and cats.[123]
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Swallows (family Hirundinidae)

Possibly extinct
More information Common name, Scientific name ...
Common name Scientific name Range Comments Pictures
White-eyed river martin Eurochelidon sirintarae Central Thailand Last confirmed record in 1978, with an unconfirmed one in 1980. It was a migratory species that wintered in central Thailand but the summer range is unknown. Possibly became extinct due to hunting, deforestation, and capture for the exotic pet trade.[110]
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Monarch flycatchers (family Monarchidae)

Possibly extinct
More information Common name, Scientific name ...
Common name Scientific name Range Comments
Negros celestial monarch Hypothymis coelestis rabori Negros and possibly Sibuyan Island, Philippines Only collected once on Sibuyan in 1892. Last recorded on Negros in the 1990s, where it declined as a consequence of deforestation.[110]
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Old World flycatchers (family Muscicapidae)

Possibly extinct
More information Common name, Scientific name ...
Common name Scientific name Range Comments Pictures
Rück's blue flycatcher Cyornis ruckii Near Medan?, Sumatra, Indonesia Last collected in 1918. There are some doubts about the original distribution, as only four skins are known: two acquired in Peninsular Malaysia where they were certainly imported from elsewhere, and two from Medan. If not migratory, it probably became extinct as a result of widespread deforestation in Medan.[110]
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Orioles (family Oriolidae)

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Common name Scientific name Range Comments Pictures
Cebu dark-throated oriole Oriolus steerii assimilis Cebu, Philippines Last collected in 1906. Disappeared due to deforestation.[110]
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Tits (family Paridae)

More information Common name, Scientific name ...
Common name Scientific name Range Comments
Daito varied tit Sittiparus varius orii Kitadaitōjima and Minamidaitōjima, Daito Islands Last recorded in 1938. It quickly declined as a result of deforestation for sugar cane agriculture and military construction.[110]
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Thrushes (family Turdidae)

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Common name Scientific name Range Comments Pictures
Bonin thrush Zoothera terrestris Chichi-jima, Bonin Islands Last collected in 1828. Probably extinct due to predation by introduced rats and cats.[124]
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White-eyes (family Zosteropidae)

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Common name Scientific name Range Comments Pictures
Mukojima white-eye Apalopteron familiare familiare Mukojima, Nakodo-jima, and probably Chichi-jima, Bonin Islands Last recorded in 1941. Disappeared due to deforestation.[110]
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Reptiles (class Reptilia)

Crocodilians (order Crocodilia)

Alligators and caimans (family Alligatoridae)

More information Scientific name, Range ...
Scientific name Range Comments Pictures
Alligator munensis Ban Si Liam, northeastern Thailand Only known from a skull from either the Pleistocene or Holocene.[125]
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Crocodiles (family Crocodylidae)

Locally extinct
More information Common name, Scientific name ...
Common name Scientific name Range Comments Pictures
Nile crocodile Crocodylus niloticus Subsaharan Africa, Egypt, and the Levant Present in Palestine and western Syria until the beginning of the 20th century.[126]
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Gharials (family Gavialidae)

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Common name Scientific name Range Comments Pictures
Chinese gharial Hanyusuchus sinensis South China Last recorded in Hainan, western Guangxi, and the Han River delta between 1292 and 1630. It was subjected to an official policy of extermination from the Bronze Age to the Ming Dynasty.[127]
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Squamates (order Squamata)

Monitor lizards (family Varanidae)

More information Common name, Scientific name ...
Common name Scientific name Range Comments
Flores monitor Varanus hooijeri Flores and Sumba, Indonesia Last dated to the Holocene on both islands.[15]
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Turtles and tortoises (order Testudines)

Tortoises (family Testudinidae)

More information Common name, Scientific name ...
Common name Scientific name Range Comments
Ryukyu tortoise Manouria oyamai Ryukyu Islands, Japan Most recent remains dated to around 9050 BCE.[128]
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Amphibians (class Amphibia)

Frogs (order Anura)

Fork-tongued frogs (family Dicroglossidae)

More information Common name, Scientific name ...
Common name Scientific name Range Comments Pictures
Gunther's streamlined frog Nannophrys guentheri Sri Lanka Only known from the holotype collected in 1882. The reasons of extinction are unknown.[129]
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Shrub frogs (family Rhacophoridae)

More information Common name, Scientific name ...
Common name Scientific name Range Comments Pictures
Sri Lanka bubble-nest frog Pseudophilautus adspersus Nuwara Eliya, Sri Lanka Last collected in 1886. The cause of extinction is unknown, but habitat loss due to agriculture has been suggested.[130]
Pseudophilautus dimbullae Dimbula, Sri Lanka Known only from holotypes collected in 1933. The causes of extinction are unknown, but habitat loss has been suggested.[131][132]
Pseudophilautus eximius
Pseudophilautus extirpo Sri Lanka Last recorded in 1882. The cause of extinction is unknown, but habitat loss has been suggested.[133]
Pseudophilautus halyi Pattipola, Sri Lanka Only known from the holotype collected in 1899. The cause of extinction is unknown, but habitat loss has been suggested.[134]
Whitenose bubble-nest frog Pseudophilautus leucorhinus Sri Lanka Only known from the holotype collected before 1856. The cause of extinction is unknown, but habitat loss has been suggested.[135]
Pseudophilautus maia Ramboda, Sri Lanka Only known from two specimens collected in 1876 or earlier. Possibly disappeared when the local forest was cleared in 1978, which also resulted in the extinction of the endemic tree Albizia lankaensis.[136]
Pseudophilautus malcolmsmithi Sri Lanka Only known from the holotype collected in 1927. The cause of extinction is unknown, but habitat loss has been suggested.[137]
Pseudophilautus nanus Southern Sri Lanka Only known from the lectotype collected in 1869. The cause of extinction is unknown, but habitat loss has been suggested.[138]
Sharp-nosed bush frog Pseudophilautus nasutus Sri Lanka Last recorded in 1869; later observations in Sri Lanka and Southern India are misidentifications. The cause of extinction is unknown, but habitat loss has been suggested.[139]
Pseudophilautus oxyrhynchus Sri Lanka Only known from the lectotype collected in 1872. The cause of extinction is unknown, but habitat loss has been suggested.[140]
Pseudophilautus pardus Sri Lanka Only known from the holotype collected before 1859. The cause of extinction is unknown, but habitat loss due to agriculture has been suggested.[141]
Pseudophilautus rugatus Taralanda, Sri Lanka Only known from the holotype collected in 1927. The cause of extinction is unknown, but habitat loss due to agriculture has been suggested.[142]
Pseudophilautus temporalis Sri Lanka Only known from the lectotype and type series collected in 1864. The cause of extinction is unknown, but habitat loss due to agriculture has been suggested.[143]
Variable bush frog Pseudophilautus variabilis Sri Lanka Only known from the lectotype collected in 1858. The cause of extinction is unknown, but habitat loss due to agriculture has been suggested.[144]
Pseudophilautus zal Sri Lanka Not recorded since before 1947. The cause of extinction is unknown, but habitat loss due to agriculture has been suggested.[145]
Pseudophilautus zimmeri Point de Galle, Sri Lanka Not recorded since 1927. The given range is now heavily urbanized, suggesting habitat destruction as the reason of extinction.[146]
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Salamanders (order Urodela)

True salamanders and newts (family Salamandridae)

More information Common name, Scientific name ...
Common name Scientific name Range Comments Pictures
Yunnan lake newt Hypselotriton wolterstorffi Kunming Lake, Yunnan, China Last recorded in 1979. Extinct due to predation by introduced fish and frogs, and habitat degradation caused by general pollution, land reclamation, and domestic duck farming.[147]
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Ray-finned fish (class Actinopterygii)

Sturgeons and paddlefishes (order Acipenseriformes)

Sturgeons (family Acipenseridae)

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Common name Scientific name Range Comments Pictures
Syr Darya sturgeon Pseudoscaphirhynchus fedtschenkoi Syr Darya River Last recorded in the 1960s.[148] Several dams, pollution and water substraction for agriculture massively altered the hydromorphology of the river. The species was also fished deliberately and accidentally.[149]
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Extinct in the wild
More information Common name, Scientific name ...
Common name Scientific name Range Comments Pictures
Yangtze sturgeon Acipenser dabryanus Yangtze River basin, China Last recorded in the lower Yangtze around 1995. Captive animals were reintroduced to the upper and middle parts of the river in 2007, but there is still no sign of reproduction in the wild. The species declined due to fishing (both direct and accidental), pollution, deforestation on the river margins, and the construction of the Gezhouba Dam, Three Gorges Dam, and Xiangjiaba Dam, which changed the temperature and hydrology and prevented the sturgeon from reahcing the lower part of the river.[150]
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Locally extinct
More information Common name, Scientific name ...
Common name Scientific name Range Comments Pictures
European sea sturgeon Acipenser sturio Coastal waters of Europe and northern Anatolia[151] Last recorded in Turkey in the 1980s.[152]
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Paddlefishes (family Polyodontidae)

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Common name Scientific name Range Comments Pictures
Chinese paddlefish Psephurus gladius Yangtze and Yellow River basins, China Last recorded in 2003. The construction of the Gezhouba Dam in the middle part of the Yangtze blocked the migration route to spawn in the upper river. It was also heavily fished historically, which depleted the species as it had a long generation time.[153]
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Herrings and anchovies (order Clupeiformes)

Herrings (family Clupeidae)

Possibly extinct
More information Common name, Scientific name ...
Common name Scientific name Range Comments
Manila Bay herring Clupea manulensis Manila Bay, Philippines Not recorded since its description in 1822.[154]
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Minnows and allies (order Cypriniformes)

Carps, minnows, and relatives (family Cyprinidae)

More information Common name, Scientific name ...
Common name Scientific name Range Comments Pictures
Beyşehir bleak Alburnus akili Lake Beyşehir, Turkey Extinct due to predation by zanders introduced in 1955. It could also have hybridized with the also introduced Sakarya bleak.[155]
Anabarilius macrolepis Yilong Lake, Yunnan, China Disappeared when the lake dried completely for 20 days in 1981, as a result of water substraction.[156]
Pait Barbodes amarus Lake Lanao, Philippines Last recorded in 1982. Disappeared along with most of the original ichthyofauna of the lake (see below) due to excessive and unsustainable fishing practices such as dynamite fishing, extraction of water for industrial, agricultural, and domestic use; illegal logging and pollution, and predation by accidentally introduced tank goby and snakehead gudgeon. The latter species is now the most common fish in the lake.[157]
Baolan Barbodes baoulan Last recorded in 1991.[158]
Bagangan Barbodes clemensi Last recorded in 1975.[159]
Barbodes disa Last recorded in 1964.[160]
Katapa-tapa Barbodes flavifuscus Last recorded in 1964.[161]
Barbodes herrei Last recorded in 1974.[162]
Barbodes katolo Last recorded in 1977.[163]
Kandar Barbodes lanaoensis Last recorded in 1964.[164]
Barbodes manalak Last recorded in 1977.[165]
Bitungu Barbodes pachycheilus Last recorded in 1964.[166]
Barbodes palaemophagus Last recorded in 1975.[167]
Barbodes palata Last recorded in 1964.[168]
Bagangan sa erungan Barbodes resimus Last recorded in 1964.[169]
Barbodes tras Last recorded in 1976.[170]
Bitungu Barbodes truncatulus Last recorded in 1973.[171]
Yilong carp Cyprinus yilongensis Yilong Lake, Yunnan, China Disappeared when the lake dried completely for 20 days in 1981, as a result of water substraction.[172]
Hula bream Mirogrex hulensis Lake Hula, Israel Disappeared in 1957-1963, after most of the lake was drained to turn the bottom into farmland.[173]
Schizothorax saltans Talas River basin, Kazakhstan Last recorded in 1953. Disappeared due to habitat loss caused by water substraction, high pollution, and fishing.[174]
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Possibly extinct
More information Scientific name, Range ...
Scientific name Range Comments
Barbodes cataractae Misamis Occidental and Lake Lanao, Philippines The holotype was collected in an unidentified river in Misamis Occidental in 1934. It was only known from Lake Lanao otherwise, and was last recorded there before 1973.[175]
Barbodes lindog Lake Lanao, Philippines Last recorded in 2008.[176]
Barbodes sirang Last recorded in 2007.[177]
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Catfishes (order Siluriformes)

Schilbid catfishes (family Schilbeidae)

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Common name Scientific name Range Comments
Siamese flat-barbelled catfish Platytropius siamensis Chao Phraya and Bang Pakong River basins, Thailand Last recorded in 1975-1977. Disappeared due to damming and canalization of the rivers, pollution, and reclamation of wetlands around Bangkok.[178]
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Salmon, trout and relatives (order Salmoniformes)

Salmon, trout and relatives (family Salmonidae)

Extinct in the wild
More information Common name, Scientific name ...
Common name Scientific name Range Comments Pictures
Kunimasu Oncorhynchus kawamurae Lake Tazawa, Japan Extirpated from its original range in 1940, when acidic water was released to the lake during the construction of hydroelectric power infrastructure. Survives in Lake Saiko, where the species was introduced in 1935.[179]
Beloribitsa Stenodus leucichthys Caspian Sea, Volga, Ural, and Terek River drainages Last recorded in the Ural in the 1960s. All spawning grounds were lost after dams were built in the Volga, Ural, and Terek river drainages. The species continues to exist in captivity, from which it is released periodically in its native range. However, illegal fishing and hybridization with the introduced nelma remain threats to its survival.[180]
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Gobies and relatives (order Gobiiformes)

Gobies (family Gobiidae)

Possibly extinct
More information Common name, Scientific name ...
Common name Scientific name Range Comments
Bia Exyrias volcanus Taal Lake, Philippines Last recorded in 1927. Possibly disappeared due to overfishing, pollution, habitat degradation, and invasive species among other reasons.[181][182]
Yellow-bellied goby Silhouettea flavoventris
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Cichlids and convict blennies (order Cichliformes)

Cichlids (family Cichlidae)

More information Scientific name, Range ...
Scientific name Range Comments
Tristramella intermedia Lake Hula, Israel Disappeared when the lake and most adjacent marshes were drained in the 1970s.[183]
Tristramella magdelainae Damascus, Syria Last collected in the 1950s. Possibly disappeared due to drought, pollution, and water extraction.[184]
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Silversides and rainbowfishes (order Atheriniformes)

Priapium fishes (family Phallostethidae)

Possibly extinct
More information Scientific name, Range ...
Scientific name Range Comments
Neostethus ctenophorus Laguna de Bay, Luzon, Philippines Not recorded since its description in 1937. Likely disappeared due to pollution.[185]
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Cartilaginous fish (class Chondrichthyes)

Ground sharks (order Carcharhiniformes)

Requiem sharks (family Carcharhinidae)

Possibly extinct
More information Common name, Scientific name ...
Common name Scientific name Range Comments
Lost shark Carcharinus obsoletus Southern South China Sea Last collected in 1934. The coasts it inhabited are heavily exploited, both for fishing and shark fishing, as well as degraded for use in aquaculture, pollution, and destruction of coral reefs.[186]
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Shovelnose rays and allies (order Rhinopristiformes)

Sawfishes (family Pristidae)

Locally extinct
More information Common name, Scientific name ...
Common name Scientific name Range Comments Pictures
Smalltooth sawfish Pristis pectinata Mid-Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea Last caught in Israel before 1956.[187]
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Malacostracans (class Malacostraca)

Amphipods (order Amphipoda)

Whale lice (family Cyamidae)

More information Scientific name, Range ...
Scientific name Range Comments
Cyamus rhytinae Bering Sea Parasite of Steller's sea cow.[188]
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Insects (class Insecta)

Dragonflies and damselflies (order Odonata)

White-legged damselflies (family Platycnemididae)

Possibly extinct
More information Scientific name, Range ...
Scientific name Range Comments
Risiocnemis laguna Paete, Luzon, Philippines Only known from three specimens collected in 1916. The only known locality is now heavily developed and urbanized, making it likely that it disappeared due to habitat destruction.[189]
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Beetles (order Coleoptera)

Ground beetles (family Carabidae)

More information Scientific name, Range ...
Scientific name Range
Rakantrechus elegans Japan[190]
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Arachnids (class Arachnida)

Order Sarcoptiformes

Family Pterolichidae

More information Scientific name, Range ...
Scientific name Range Comments
Compressalges nipponiae Central China and Taiwan to Japan and the Russian Far East Parasite of the crested ibis. A conservation-induced extinction produced in the late 20th century.[188]
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Clitellates (class Clitellata)

Order Opisthopora

Family Megascolecidae

More information Scientific name, Range ...
Scientific name Range Comments
Amynthas japonicus Possibly Dejima or Nagasaki, Japan Last collected in the 1820s. It could have disappeared due to habitat loss, though the exact locality of origin is unknown.[190]
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Slugs and snails (class Gastropoda)

Order Stylommatophora

Family Achatinellidae

More information Scientific name, Range ...
Scientific name Range
Lamellidea monodonta Bonin Islands, Japan[191][192]
Lamellidea nakadai
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Family Ariophantidae

More information Scientific name, Range ...
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Family Charopidae

More information Scientific name, Range ...
Scientific name Range
Hirasea planulata Bonin Islands, Japan[196]
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Family Geomitridae

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Scientific name Range Pictures
Xerocrassa picardi Israel[197]
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Periwinkles (family Littorinidae)

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Scientific name Range Comments
Littoraria flammea Chinese coast[198] Last recorded in 1840. Extinct due to habitat loss.[199]
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Whorl snails (family Vertiginidae)

More information Scientific name, Range ...
Scientific name Range
Gastrocopta chichijimana Bonin Islands, Japan[200][201]
Gastrocopta ogasawarana
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Plants (kingdom Plantae)

Lycopods (class Lycopodiopsida)

Quillworts (family Isoetaceae)

More information Scientific name, Range ...
Scientific name Range Comments
Isoetes sinensis Jiangsu, Anhui, China Declined due to industrial development and agricultural expansion.[202]
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Ferns (class Polypodiopsida)

Maidenhair ferns and relatives (family Pteridaceae)

More information Scientific name, Range ...
Scientific name Range
Adiantum lianxianense Guangdong, China[203]
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Flowering plants (clade Angiospermae)

Cashews (family Anacardiaceae)

Extinct in the wild
More information Common name, Scientific name ...
Common name Scientific name Range Comments Pictures
Kalimantan mango Mangifera casturi Banjarmasin, Kalimantan, Indonesia Disappeared from the wild before 1986, probably because of deforestation for agriculture.[204]
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Possibly extinct in the wild
More information Scientific name, Range ...
Scientific name Range Comments
Mangifera rubropetala unknown; possibly Borneo, Sumatra, or Java, Indonesia The species is cultivated by humans but the existence of wild individuals is unclear.[205]
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Palm trees (family Arecaceae)

Extinct in the wild
More information Common name, Scientific name ...
Common name Scientific name Range Comments Pictures
Tali palm Corypha taliera West Bengal, India The last wild tree was cut down near Shantiniketan in 1979, by villagers who believed it a "ghost Palmyra tree". Survives in captivity in the Indian Botanic Garden of Shibpur and the Fairchild Tropical Garden in Coral Gables, Florida. A possible but unconfirmed individual was discovered in the campus of Dhaka University, Bangladesh.[206]
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Sunflowers (family Asteraceae)

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Scientific name Range Comments Pictures
Pluchea glutinosa Socotra, Yemen Last collected between 1888 and 1899.[207]
Psiadia schweinfurthii Last collected in the 1890s.[208]
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Begonias (family Begoniaceae)

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Common name Scientific name Range Comments
Woolly-stalked begonia Begonia eiromischa Betong Island, Malaysia Last collected in 1898. Its original habitat was cleared for agriculture in the 1980s.[209]
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Birches (family Betulaceae)

Possibly extinct
More information Common name, Scientific name ...
Common name Scientific name Range Comments
Tau bei qi mu Alnus henryi Tanshui, Taiwan Last collected for sure in 1916. Later references could be misidentified Alnus formosiana.[210]
Gong shan hua Betula gynoterminalis Drungzu Nusu Zizhixian, near Gongshan, China Only known from the holotype collected in 1956. Possibly extinct due to forest clearing and habitat loss.[211]
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Honeysuckles (family Caprifoliaceae)

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Scientific name Range Comments
Valeriana affinis Jebel Ma’alih, Socotra, Yemen Only known from the holotype collected in 1888.[212]
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Dipterocarps (family Dipterocarpaceae)

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Common name Scientific name Range Comments Pictures
Shing-keng Hopea shingkeng Arbor Hills, Arunachal Pradesh, India Only known from the holotype collected in 1911. It has been sometimes reported as occurring in Tibet, either dubiously or erroneously. It could have become extinct as a result of deforestation, as it occurred in low altitude Himalayan moist forests.[213]
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Heathers (family Ericaceae)

Extinct in the wild
More information Scientific name, Range ...
Scientific name Range Comments Pictures
Rhododendron kanehirai Feitsui, Taiwan Its original range was flooded by the construction of a dam in 1984.[214]
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Euphorbias (family Euphorbiaceae)

Extinct in the wild
More information Scientific name, Range ...
Scientific name Range Comments Pictures
Euphorbia mayurnathanii Pallasana, Palghat Gap, India Described from three old specimens discovered on a rocky ledge in 1943. It has been proposed that this species was a relict from when the local climate was drier.[215]
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Legumes (family Fabaceae)

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Common name Scientific name Range Comments
Hainan ormosia Ormosia howii Hainan and Guangdong, China Possibly extinct due to deforestation and agriculture encroaching.[216]
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Mallows (family Malvaceae)

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Scientific name Range Comments
Sterculia khasiana Khasi Hills, Meghalaya, India Last collected in 1877. Likely extinct due to habitat loss caused by extensive agriculture and fires.[217]
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Soapberries (family Sapindaceae)

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Scientific name Range Comments
Lepisanthes unilocularis Seashore of Foluo, southwest Hainan, China Last recorded in 1935.[218]
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See also

Notes

  1. The source gives "11,700 calendar yr b2k (before CE 2000)". But "BP" means "before CE 1950". Therefore, the Holocene began 11,650 BP. Doing the math, that is c. 9700 BCE.
  2. Attributed to Struthio asiaticus in this source, but this name should be limited to remains from Pleistocene India.[108]

References

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