Africa - Species Extinction

dodo reconstruction in National Museum of Natural History in Paris, France

This reconstruction of a dodo is the result of interpretative work based on historical and scientific research: testimonies, representations, and bones. There is no taxidermized specimen of the species. The bird was created by the artist Camille Renversade and realized in collaboration with the taxidermy workshops of the Museum. (© Doreen Fräßdorf, photo taken at Muséum national d'histoire naturelle in Paris, France, 2024)

2024-09-05 Doreen Fräßdorf

Dodo

Dead as a dodo The dodo, a relative of pigeons (Columbidae), is perhaps the most famous example of a species driven to extinction by humans. Representations of the bird in literature and art are common, such as in the third chapter of the children’s book Alice in Wonderland (1865) by

A Barbary lion in Algeria, photographed by Sir Alfred Edward Pease in 1893. The particularly dense, dark mane was notable, but it does not provide significant insights into the species. It may instead represent an adaptation to climatic conditions. (© Alfred Edward Pease (29 June 1857 – 27 April 1939), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons)

2024-07-30 Doreen Fräßdorf

Barbary Lion

The cultural significance of North African lions Lions played a role in early Egyptian art and literature. Archaeologists discovered statues and statuettes of lions from Egypt’s Early Dynastic Period (3100 to 2686 BC) in Hierakonpolis, the religious and political center of Upper Egypt, and in the ancient Egyptian city of

This is what the Atlas bear might have looked like. (© Nicolas Maréchal, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons)

2024-07-29 Doreen Fräßdorf

Atlas Bear

The Atlas bear was part of animal hunts in the Roman Empire The Atlas bear is believed to have lived in the North African Atlas Mountains and the adjacent regions of Libya, Algeria, and Morocco. There are no photos, scientific illustrations, museum specimens, or complete skeletons of the Atlas bear.

Illustration of the Cape Verde Giant Skink by J. Terrier from 1885. Males could reach a body length of around 50 centimeters, and females around 43 centimeters (including the tail). The weight of the animals was almost half a kilogram. (© J. Terrier, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons)

2024-07-25 Doreen Fräßdorf

Cape Verde Giant Skink

Ilhas Desertas – The terra typica of the Cape Verde giant skink Organisms that occur in isolated ecosystems such as islands are often adapted to the extreme conditions prevailing there. They exhibit characteristics such as dwarfism or gigantism and often lack defensive mechanisms due to the absence of predators, setting

An expedition to the Makira Forest in Madagascar has rediscovered the millipede Spirostreptus sculptus, which had been lost for over 125 years. (© Dmitry Telnov)

2024-07-20 Doreen Fräßdorf

Madagascar: Expedition Rediscovers 21 Lost Species in the Makira Forest

A scientific expedition to the Makira Forest, the largest and best-preserved forest area in Madagascar, has rediscovered 21 species long lost to science. Among the rediscovered species are three iridescent, nearly transparent fish species and a millipede last documented 126 years ago. The expedition was part of the Search for

Drawing of the red gazelle from the book Great and Small Game of Africa from 1899. (© Rowland Ward, Limited. [d. 1912], Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons)

2024-06-10 Doreen Fräßdorf

Red gazelle

The last animal died in 1894 The Red gazelle is known only from the skins and bones of three male specimens, which are currently housed in museums in Paris and London. The last known individual of this species was likely killed by a hunter in 1894, as there have been