In this edition of Spot on Science, Jeff St. Clair tells us about some notable extinct species including the dodo, passenger pigeon, great auk, and Steller's sea cow.
Dinosaurs, once rulers of the earth, are now extinct, except for birds which are considered their descendants.
To be extinct refers to the state of a species that no longer exists, meaning there are no living individuals of that species remaining on earth.
Extinction is a natural process occurring when a species disappears due to various reasons, but human activities can accelerate this process.
Discussion Questions:
- What factors can lead to the extinction of a species?
- Can humans slow down the rate of extinction?
- In what way does the extinction of one animal or plant affect other animals and plants?
- Are there any species in Ohio threatened by extinction?
READ THE SCRIPT:
[SOS: EXTINCTION]
[JEFF ST. CLAIR / IDEASTREAM]: IF YOU KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT DINOSAURS YOU KNOW THAT THEY ARE EXTINCT. THAT MEANS THEY ALL DIED OUT – WELL EXCEPT FOR BIRDS, WHICH ARE TECHNICALLY DINOSAURS – BUT THAT’S ANOTHER STORY.
EXTINCTION IS WHEN AN ANIMAL SPECIES DIES OUT FOR ONE REASON OR ANOTHER, AND IT IS A NATURAL PART OF OUR PLANET’S HISTORY.
BUT SOMETIMES ANIMALS GO EXTINCT NOT FROM NATURAL CAUSES BUT BECAUSE OF HUMANS. AND THAT’S SOMETHING WE NEED TO PAY ATTENTION TO BECAUSE EXTINCTION IS FOREVER.
SOME OF THE MOST FAMOUS EXTINCTIONS ARE FROM ANIMALS THAT ARE HARD TO EVEN IMAGINE TODAY.
THE DODO FOR EXAMPLE WAS A REAL BIRD THAT LIVED ON THE ISLAND OF MAURITIUS OFF THE COAST OF AFRICA. WHEN EUROPEAN SAILORS FIRST DISCOVERED THE ISLAND IN THE 1600’S THEY WERE SHOCKED TO FIND A LARGE FLIGHTLESS PIGEON THAT HAD NO FEAR OF PEOPLE. THAT’S WHY THEY CALLED IT A DODO. WITHIN A FEW YEARS THEY WERE GONE.
OTHER ANIMALS GONE THE WAY OF THE DODO.
THE PASSENGER PIGEON WAS ONCE THE MOST COMMON BIRD IN THE WORLD. IT DARKENED THE SKIES OF AMERICA IN COLONIAL TIMES. BUT HUNTERS DROVE THEM TO EXTINCTION UNTIL ONLY ONE REMAINED, A BIRD NAMED MARTHA WHO DIED AT THE CINCINNATI ZOO IN 1914.
HAVE YOU EVER HEARD OF THE GREAT AUK? IT WAS KNOWN AS THE PENGUIN OF THE NORTH, BUT THE LAST ONE OF THESE LARGE FLIGHTLESS BIRDS WAS KILLED BY HUNTERS IN 1844.
ANOTHER STRANGE BEAST WAS THE STELLER’S SEA COW - A HUGE WALRUS-LIKE ANIMAL THAT LIVED IN ALASKA BEFORE SAILORS KILLED THEM OFF IN THE 1800’S. SIMILAR TO A MANATEE, THEY GREW TO 30 FEET LONG AND LIVED ALONGSIDE NATIVE PEOPLE FOR THOUSANDS OF YEARS UNTIL EUROPEAN HUNTERS ARRIVED.
MANY ANIMALS TODAY ARE CLOSE TO EXTINCTION. RARE AND ENDANGERED SPECIES LIKE RHINOS, BLUE WHALES, PANDAS AND OTHERS ARE THE RESULT OF MILLIONS OF YEARS OF EVOLUTION AND ARE OFTEN KEY MEMBERS OF NATURAL COMMUNITIES THAT NEED PROTECTION.
THAT’S WHY WE NEED THE ENDANGERED SPECIES ACT AND OTHER PROTECTIONS. BECAUSE REMEMBER, EXTINCTION IS FOREVER.
