Many amazing animals once roamed the Earth, but sadly, some have vanished forever. From the famous dodo bird to the giant woolly mammoth, each of these creatures has a unique story of extinction.
Humans often played a major role in their disappearance, whether through hunting or habitat changes. Now, with advancements in science, there’s even talk of bringing some of them back.
Here are some remarkable animals that once thrived in our world and left a lasting mark on history.
1. Dodo Bird
The dodo bird, a flightless bird native to Mauritius, went extinct in the 1600s due to human impact.
When Europeans reached Mauritius, they hunted dodos and brought animals like rats and cats that ate dodo eggs, which quickly reduced the dodo population.
By 1681, dodos were gone. Today, scientists still study dodo remains, and in 2022, they completed the first full dodo genome.
This research could be a step toward possibly bringing the dodo back, although there are many challenges, like ensuring genetic diversity.
2. Thylacine Aka The Tasmanian Tiger
The thylacine, also known as the Tasmanian tiger, was a marsupial that lived in Australia, New Guinea, and Tasmania.
Its population was already declining when Europeans arrived, and efforts to protect it came too late. In 1936, the last known thylacine, named Benjamin, passed away in captivity.
Recently, scientists sequenced its entire genome, sparking hopes to bring it back. Experts believe that by around 2027, with more research and time, they may be able to recreate a functional genome, opening the door for its possible return.
3. Quagga
The quagga, a unique type of zebra from South Africa, had stripes only on the front half of its body, with the back being brown. Hunted by humans, the last quagga in the wild was shot in 1870, and the last captive one passed away in 1883.
In 1987, the Quagga Project began selective breeding of zebras that resembled quaggas, and since then, several zebras have been bred with similar traits.
Though not true quaggas, these “Rau quaggas” bring us closer to seeing quagga-like animals in the wild again.
4. Passenger Pigeon
Passenger pigeons were once so numerous in North America that their flocks could block out the sun. However, heavy hunting for food caused their numbers to plummet, and by 1914, the species was extinct.
Revive & Restore, a conservation group, is working to bring back the passenger pigeon by modifying the DNA of a close relative, the band-tailed pigeon, to create a similar bird.
While it wouldn’t be exactly the same, the result would look and behave much like the original. Release of these birds into the wild could start as soon as 2030.
5. Moa
The moa was a massive, flightless bird from New Zealand, standing up to 12 feet tall and weighing over 500 pounds. Overhunting by the Maori led to their extinction by around 1400.
While moas have no close relatives left in New Zealand, the tinamou bird from South America shares some genetic links. Scientists continue to study these birds to see if parts of moa DNA still exist in related species.
6. Gastric Brooding Frog
The gastric-brooding frog had a unique way of raising its young, believe it or not, it would swallow its eggs and later “give birth” through its mouth.
Sadly, this species went extinct in 1983. However, in 2013, scientists made progress by implanting the frog’s nucleus into another species’ egg.
While the project is still in early stages, this breakthrough gives hope for possibly bringing back this one-of-a-kind frog.
7. Woolly Mammoth
Woolly mammoths roamed the Earth until around 4,000 years ago, with the last known population living on Wrangel Island. (We all know the famous Manny from the Ice Age cartoon franchise.)
These mammoths have fascinated scientists for years, and frozen remains have enabled extensive DNA research. Scientists hope to eventually bring back the mammoth, possibly by combining mammoth DNA with that of an Asian elephant.
Restoring mammoths to the Arctic could even help the environment by maintaining cold grasslands, potentially slowing climate change.
8. Woolly Rhinoceros
The woolly rhinoceros thrived in cold regions across Europe and Asia during the Ice Age. With thick fur and stocky legs, it was well adapted to freezing tundra environments.
Many believe human hunting played a big role in their extinction, and scientists are considering reintroducing them to help restore balance to certain ecosystems affected by their loss.
9. Irish Elk
The Irish elk was one of the largest deer species, with massive antlers that could span up to 12 feet. It went extinct around 7,700 years ago, with its last known remains found in Siberia.
Researchers think certain genes from red or fallow deer could be linked to the Irish elk, giving hope that part of its legacy lives on in these related species.
10. Sabre-toothed Cat
The sabre-toothed cat, known for its long, curved canine teeth, roamed the Earth around 10,000 years ago before going extinct. Scientists are investigating how to bring this iconic predator back through de-extinction methods like cloning and gene editing.
Researchers are looking to extract well-preserved DNA from sabre-toothed cat fossils and insert this genetic material into the genome of modern big cats, like tigers or lions.
The hope is to recreate a version of the sabre-toothed cat that could potentially be reintroduced into the wild in controlled environments, although this remains a long-term, speculative project.
11. Great Auk
The Great Auk, a flightless bird that once inhabited the coasts of the North Atlantic, was hunted to extinction in the mid-19th century. Scientists are trying to bring back the Great Auk using a combination of ancient DNA and gene-editing technology.
By sequencing the Great Auk’s genome and studying its closest living relatives, like the razorbill, researchers hope to eventually bring this extinct bird back to life.
This ambitious project aims not only to restore a lost species but also to contribute to the broader understanding of avian evolution and de-extinction techniques.