Extinct animals : an encyclopedia of species that have disappeared during human history / llustrations by Renata Cunha and Phil Miller

Everyone is familiar with the dodo and the wooly mammoth, but how many people have heard of the scimitar cat and the Falkland Island fox? Extinct Animals portrays over 60 remarkable animals that have been lost forever during the relatively recent geological past. Each entry provides a concise discussion of the history of the animal—how and where it lived, and how it became extinct—as well as the scientific discovery and analysis of the creature. In addition, this work examines what led to extinction—from the role of cyclical swings in the Earth's climate to the spread of humans and their activities. Many scientists believe that we are in the middle of a mass extinction right now, caused by the human undermining of the earth's complex systems that support life. Understanding what caused the extinction of animals in the past may help us understand and prevent the extinction of species in the future.Extinct Animals examines the biology and history of some of the most interesting creatures that have ever lived, including: The American Terror Bird, which probably became extinct over 1 million years ago, who were massive predators, some of which were almost 10 feet tall; the Rocky Mountain Locust, last seen in 1902, formed the most immense animal aggregations ever known, with swarms estimated to include over 10 trillion insects; the Giant Ground Sloth, which was as large as an elephant; and the Neandertals, the first Europeans, which co-existed with prehistoric Homo sapiens. Extinct Animals includes illustrations—many created for the work—that help the reader visualize the extinct creature, and each entry concludes with a list of resources for those who wish to do further research. Contents 10 Preface 14 Acknowledgments 16 Introduction 18 1 Fewer Than 100 Years Ago 24 Golden Toad 24 Gastric-Brooding Frog 26 Eskimo Curlew 29 Caribbean Monk Seal 31 Thylacine 34 Carolina Parakeet 36 Passenger Pigeon 39 2 Fewer Than 200 Years Ago 44 Rocky Mountain Locust 44 Pig-Footed Bandicoot 46 Quelili 49 Stephens Island Wren 51 Tarpan 54 Quagga 56 Warrah 59 Great Auk 61 3 Fewer Than 500 Years Ago 66 Elephant Bird 66 Steller’s Sea Cow 68 Dodo 71 Aurochs 73 Moa 75 Haast’s Eagle 78 Marcano’s Solenodon 81 4 Fewer Than 10,000 Years Ago 86 Moa-Nalo 86 Du 88 Horned Turtle 91 Giant Lemur 94 Woolly Mammoth 96 Sivathere 99 Giant Deer 102 Giant Ground Sloth 104 Cuban Giant Owl 106 5 10,000–12,500 Years Ago 112 Glyptodont 112 Saber Tooth Cat 114 Scimitar Cat 117 American Mastodon 120 Giant Beaver 122 American Cheetah 124 American Lion 127 Woolly Rhinoceros 129 Litoptern 131 Dire Wolf 134 Cave Bear 136 Sicilian Dwarf Elephant 139 Merriam’s Teratorn 142 6 More Than 12,500 Years Ago 148 Giant Short-Faced Bear 148 Flores Human 150 Giant Bison 154 Homo erectus 157 Neanderthal 160 Marsupial Lion 162 Diprotodon 165 Australian Thunderbird 168 Giant Monitor Lizard 171 Quinkana 173 Giant Short-Faced Kangaroo 176 Giant Echidna 179 Wonambi 181 7 More Than 50,000 Years Ago 186 Giant Rhinoceros 186 Megatooth Shark 188 Magnificent Teratorn 191 Pouch-Knife 194 Terror Bird 197 Giant Hyena 199 Giant Ape 202 Giant Camel 204 Glossary 208 A 208 B 208 C 208 D 209 E 209 F 209 G 209 H 210 I 210 J 210 K 210 L 210 M 210 N 210 O 211 P 211 R 211 S 211 T 212 U 212 V 212 Z 212 Selected Bibliography 214 Selected Museums in the United States, Canada, and Worldwide 216 Index 220 A 220 B 220 C 221 D 222 E 222 F 222 G 223 H 223 I 223 J 224 K 224 L 224 M 224 N 225 O 225 P 225 Q 225 R 226 S 226 T 226 U 227 V 227 W 227 Y 227 Z 227 Everyone is familiar with the dodo and the wooly mammoth, but how many people have heard of the scimitar cat and the Falkland Island fox? Extinct Animals portrays over 60 remarkable animals that have been lost forever during the relatively recent geological past. Each entry provides a concise discussion of the history of the animalhow and where it lived, and how it became extinctas well as the scientific discovery and analysis of the creature. In addition, this work examines what led to extinctionfrom the role of cyclical swings in the Earth's climate to the spread of humans and their activities. Many scientists believe that we are in the middle of a mass extinction right now, caused by the human undermining of the earth's complex systems that support life. Understanding what caused the extinction of animals in the past may help us understand and prevent the extinction of species in the future. Extinct Animals examines the biology and history of some of the most interesting creatures that have ever lived, The American Terror Bird, which probably became extinct over 1 million years ago, who were massive predators, some of which were almost 10 feet tall; the Rocky Mountain Locust, last seen in 1902, formed the most immense animal aggregations ever known, with swarms estimated to include over 10 trillion insects; the Giant Ground Sloth, which was as large as an elephant; and the Neandertals, the first Europeans, which co-existed with prehistoric Homo sapiens. Extinct Animals includes illustrationsmany created for the workthat help the reader visualize the extinct creature, and each entry concludes with a list of resources for those who wish to do further research. Portrays over 60 remarkable animals that have been lost forever during the relatively recent geological past. This book discusses the history of the animals - how and where they lived, and how they became extinct - as well as the scientific discovery and analysis of the creature. Presents an encyclopedic overview of animals that have become extinct during human history, and discusses the factors of extinction, including climate change, habitat destruction, and human predation.