21th century - Species Extinction

Remains of the Tasmanian tiger, which was hunted to extinction in the early 20th century. (© Doreen Fräßdorf, photographed at the UCL Grant Museum of Zoology in London, England, 2024)

2024-07-23 Doreen Fräßdorf

Extinctions: How Many Animal Species Have We Already Wiped Out?

There have been five mass extinction events in the history of Earth’s biodiversity, all caused by natural phenomena. It is believed that the sixth mass extinction is currently underway, this time solely driven by human activities. The Thylacine, the aurochs, and the dodo are just a few of the most

The extinct yellow-tipped Oahu tree snail Achatinella apexfulva (above) at the Naturalis Biodiversity Center in Leiden, Netherlands. The species epithet apexfulva means “yellow tip” and refers to the color of the snail shell. (© Naturalis Biodiversity Center, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons)

2024-06-10 Doreen Fräßdorf

Yellow-tipped Oahu tree snail

Hawaii’s first scientifically described snail The yellow-tipped Oahu tree snail Achatinella apexfulva is not only the first scientifically described snail of the Hawaiian archipelago but also the first officially declared extinct. The species was first described in 1789 by British sailor and explorer George Dixon, who acquired a traditional necklace