Recently Extinct Animals

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The number of documented extinctions (735 animal species) grossly underrepresents the true number of extinctions that have taken place in historic times. These underrepresentations are due to very incomplete and uneven sampling, both geograpically and taxonomically. Humans have been the main cause of extinction since 1500 AD with invasive alien species, habitat loss, and over-exploration being the main casual factors.

The following are recently extinct animals from 2006 to 1972:

Yangtze River Dolphin, Lipotes vexillifer, 13 December 2006 (functionally extinct)
Western Black Rhinoceros, Diceros bicornis longipes, 8 June 2006
Po'o-uli Melamprosops phaeosoma, 28 November 2004
Miss Waldron's Red Colobus Monkey, Procolobus badius waldronae, 2000-2001
Pyrenean Ibex, Capra pyrenaica pyrenaica, 6 January 2000
Atitlan Grebe, Podilymbus gigas, 1989
Golden Toad, Bufo periglenes, 1989
Arcuate Pearly Mussel, Epioblasma flexuosa, 1988
Kauai Oo, Moho braccatus, 1987
Eungella Gastric-brooding Frog, Rheobatrachus vitellinus, March 1985
Conondale Gastric-brooding Frog, Rheobatrachus silus, November 1983
Javan Tiger, Panthera tigris sondaica, 1980s
Cyprus Spiny Mouse, Acomys nesiotes, 1980
Southern Day Frog, Taudactylus diurnus, 1979
Dutch Alcon Blue, Maculinea alcon arenaria, 1979
Colombian Grebe, Podiceps andinus, 1977
Round Island Burrowing Boa, Bolyeria multocarinata, 1975
Guam Flying Fox, Pteropus tokudae, June 1974
Bali Tiger, Panthera tigris balica, 1972
Bush Wren, Xenicus longipes, 1972