According to the Center for Biodiversity, the Planet is "now in the sixth period of mass extinction of plants and animals in the last 500 million years."
The group believes that "we are experiencing the worst mass extinction of species since the extinction of the dinosaurs 65 million years ago." ”
"While species extinction is a natural phenomenon, nature's 'background extinction rate' is about 1 to 5 species per year. Scientists estimate that the current rate of species extinction is 1,000 to 10,000 times the 'background extinction rate'. ”
Remember that cute macaw in Rio Adventure? You'll never see them in the wild again. In 2018, there are many rare species of animals and plants that have left us forever. Some researchers say that the earth is in the sixth mass extinction period.
The little blue macaw in the movie Rio Adventure
There are several species that have been on our planet for millions of years, but they officially disappeared in 2018.
According to a report by the International Bird Federation Conservation Group, scientists say three species of birds went extinct in 2018, two of which are songbirds from northeastern Brazil – the Pale Brow Tree Hunting Finch and the Nord's Leaf Picker.
Knott's leaf picker
According to the International Bird Federation, another bird that went extinct in 2018 is the Mushima Honeyfinches in Hawaii, which have not been seen in the wild since 2004 (the last bird to be kept in captivity also died in the same year).
Stuart Barthart, chief scientist at the International Bird Federation and lead author of the paper, said a disturbing trend is that continental species are beginning to become more likely to become more likely to become extinct than island species. "Ninety percent of birds that have gone extinct over the centuries have been island species," he said. ”
"However, our findings confirm that a rising wave of extinctions is sweeping across the continent," he said. The main reason is the loss and degradation of habitat (for birds) due to unsustainable agriculture and logging. ”
The Spikes Macaw is best known for the 2011 animated film Rio Adventure, however, the wild Spike Macaw is now extinct, with only a few dozen captured Spike Macaws still alive.
The prototype of the protagonist of the movie "Rio Adventure"
The protagonist of Rio Adventure is a rare little blue macaw based on a Spike macaw named Presley. In 2014, Presley passed away without leaving any descendants. At that time, this parrot was difficult to find in the wild, under the protection of artificial breeding, there were less than 100 in the world, and scientists were worried that inbreeding would cause too many defects in their genes, and finally inevitably went extinct, so they have been looking for wild small blue macaw populations around the world. However, after years of searching, people were frustrated to find that they may really, have disappeared.
Blue macaw
Wild Spectrot Macaws went extinct due to deforestation, as well as the construction of dams and the capture for sale, among other reasons.
Along with the Spikes macaw, other birds considered extinct are the moorea reed warbler and the glaucous macaw, some of which have no habitat in the wild, and some of which have not even been left in captivity...
Moorea Island Reed Warbler
Grey-green macaw
Several birds, such as the New Island Honeyeater and the Pernambuco Wren, are also endangered, and their names are unique.
Pernambuco Partridge
In addition to birds, other animals such as the vaquita and the northern white rhino are also close to extinction.
Porpoises
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said: "The porpoise is the most endangered marine mammal in the world. Less than 30 animals are still alive in the wild. ”
Screenshot of USA Today website
The last male northern white rhino died in a kenyan wildlife sanctuary in March last year, and now only two female white rhinos remain, according to the website mashable.
Data released last year by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service showed that only 40 endangered wild red wolves remain in the United States, or will become extinct within 8 years.
According to the U.S. Center for Biological Diversity, the planet is "now in the sixth period of mass extinction of plants and animals in the last 500 million years."
The center estimates that about 1,000 species have gone extinct over the past 500 years, such as the woodland bison in West Virginia, the Merian elk in Arizona, the Rocky Mountain grasshopper, the passenger pigeon, and the Culebra parrot in Puerto Rico.
In 2018, the Eastern Mountain Lion was also officially declared extinct, 80 years after the last Eastern Mountain Lion was killed in Maine.
Eastern Cougar
We're not just erasing some of the world's newest species — like the Sumatran orangutan , discovered in 2017 and endangered due to human industry. We're also killing those ancient species: the Chinese giant salamanders, a "living fossil" species whose ancestors lived on Earth with Stegosaurus and Lepidoptera, and although they survived for more than 250 million years, they are now on the brink of extinction, as are many of the world's most unique sharks and rays.
Chinese giant salamander
Also in 2018, a subspecies of the giraffe we are familiar with was listed as critically endangered for the first time; almost all lemurs are doomed; insects are equally not optimistic, in the United States, we have lost 97% of the Western monarch butterfly, and the reptile species in South America is rapidly decreasing.
2018 wasn't entirely hopeless either, though, with mountain gorillas rescued from critical endangerment; wild black rhinos returning to Chad for the first time in 50 years; the adorable san quintin kangaroo rat, found to be alive and well after 30 years of presumed extinction; and the rare Lake Pátzcuaro salamande survived the orders of the Mexican nuns.
St. Quentin kangaroo
Mexican salamander
Source: USA Today, Reference News Network, Angel Radiance NetEase, China Science Popularization Network Baijia Number, if there is infringement notice after deletion!