Island endemic - Species Extinction

The dwarf elephant species Palaeoloxodon cypriotes, found exclusively in Cyprus, weighed around 500 kilograms, while the dwarf hippopotamus Phanourios minor (pictured) reached only 130 kilograms. (© GeorgeLyras at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons)

2024-09-21 Doreen Fräßdorf

New Study: Dwarf Hippopotamuses and Elephants in Cyprus Driven to Extinction by a Few Thousand People

New research reveals that dwarf elephants (Palaeoloxodon cypriotes) and dwarf hippopotamuses (Phanourios minor) on the Mediterranean island of Cyprus were driven to extinction after the arrival of Paleolithic humans around 14,000 years ago. A small population of possibly just 3,000 people was enough to wipe out these animals within a

Giant Haast's eagle attacking New Zealand moa

A Haast's eagle attacks already extinct New Zealand moas. The largest moas were the female South Island giant moas. They could reach a weight of up to 300 kilograms. (© John Megahan, CC BY 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons)

2024-09-17 Doreen Fräßdorf

Haast’s Eagle

The largest bird of prey in modern times Before humans settled in New Zealand around 700 years ago and introduced invasive species like cats and rats, there were no land-dwelling mammals on the islands – aside from three species of bats. Instead, the ecosystem was dominated by approximately 250 bird

Male huias (bottom) reached a length of around 45 centimeters, while female huias (top) measured between 48 and 55 centimeters. The illustration is by John G. Keulemans from Walter Buller's A History of the Birds of New Zealand (1873). (© John Gerrard Keulemans, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons)

2024-09-15 Doreen Fräßdorf

Huia

When males and females appear as two different species The pronounced sexual dimorphism between female and male huia caused confusion in the past. This confusion was so significant that, in 1836, the English ornithologist John Gould described male and female huia as different species. Even today, the development of gender-specific

A prepared huia pair (female on the right, male on the left) in the Thinktank Birmingham Science Museum. This specimen is not up for auction. (© Dr Mirko Junge, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons)

2024-09-15 Doreen Fräßdorf

Taxidermied Huia Pair Expected to Fetch Up to NZ$128,000 at London Auction

A rare taxidermied pair of huia birds could fetch up to NZ$128,000 at an auction in London. Organized by Roseberys London, the auction is scheduled for October 2024. The huia pair, consisting of a male and a female, dates back to the late 19th century and is considered extremely rare.

Traversia lyalli Stephens Island wren or Lyall's wren

The flightless Stephens Island wren, measuring around ten centimeters in total length, was a relatively small bird. (© Avenue, GFDL 1.2, via Wikimedia Commons)

2024-09-11 Doreen Fräßdorf

Lyall’s Wren

The tragic story of the Lyall’s wren Like the dodo, the Lyall’s wren, also known als Stephens Island wren, stands as one of the most well-known examples of bird species extinction, as the circumstances of its disappearance are both poignant and tragic. The story of the Lyall’s wren is often

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

Mussau Triller rediscovered after 44 years

The Mussau triller, long thought to be lost since 1979, was rediscovered in June 2024 on Mussau Island in Papua New Guinea. (© Photo by Joshua Bergmark/Ornis Birding Expeditions)

2024-08-28 Doreen Fräßdorf

Mussau Triller: Lost Bird Species Rediscovered After 44 Years

The Mussau triller (Lalage conjuncta), last documented in 1979, was rediscovered in June of this year by Australian bird photographer Joshua Bergmark during a tour with a group of birdwatchers. This songbird species, part of the cuckooshrike family, is endemic to Mussau Island, located in the Bismarck Archipelago north of

A drawing of the Honshu wolf created between 1833 and 1850 by Philipp Franz von Siebold. (© Special Collections of the University of Amsterdam, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons)

2024-08-18 Doreen Fräßdorf

Honshū Wolf

Island dwarfism led to the smallest subspecies of the wolf The extinct Honshū wolf, which was only found on the Japanese islands of Honshū, Shikoku, and Kyūshū, is considered the smallest subspecies of the wolf. Its body length was about 90 centimeters, and its shoulder height was 56 centimeters. The

The Hokkaidō wolf, one of two wolf subspecies extinct in Japan, was depicted in this illustration by the English zoologist St. George Mivart in 1890. (© Mivart, St. George Jackson (30 November 1827 – 1 April 1900), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons)

2024-08-18 Doreen Fräßdorf

Hokkaidō Wolf

Harmful animals in Hokkaido In Japanese mythology, both the extinct Honshu wolf and the Hokkaido wolf, also known as the Ezo wolf, are revered as benevolent beings. One legend, similar to the Roman myth of Romulus and Remus, recounts that a son of Fujiwara no Hidehira, a 12th-century Japanese noble

A depiction of the extinct Tongatapu rail by Georg Forster? Created between 1772 and 1775. (© George Forster, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons)

2024-08-10 Doreen Fräßdorf

Tongatapu Rail

The only specimen is now lost Many bird species from the past were described based on a single specimen, which is now lost. One such example is the Tongatapu rail. Historical reports and descriptions of this bird species from the rail family (Rallidae) remain, based on observations and collections made