For day two of our little game, we tackle another wonderous topic, one that is very near and dear to my heart. As many of you know, my passion above all else are animals. However, what you may not know is that one of my biggest passions within that broader topic are extinct animals, particularly animals that have gone extinct since humans have existed. For that reason, let's take a gander at the species that once were but are no longer. I'm personally going to exclude dinosaurs and pre-Mesozoic species as I feel like that'd be a wholly different list, but feel free to include them if you'd like to.
Also, for anyone reading, we have plenty more spots to fill with only 3 days to go, so please sign up if you're interested in doing so! With that, here is my list of Top 5 Extinct Animals.
#5-Kauaʻi ʻōʻō (Moho braccatus)
Hawaii has some of the world's most unique and gorgeous bird species on the planet, it's a place I absolutely need to go birding at some point in my life. While there are plenty of extinct birds from Hawaii that are prettier and more unique than the Kaua'i ʻōʻō, the reason this species makes the list for me is the haunting recording of this bird. There is a recording of the (believed) final individual letting out a mating call into the forest with no call in response. With that recording, this little bird plunged itself into my top 5.
#4- Smilodon (Smilodon fatalis)
I didn't want to flood my list with Pleistocene species as cool and unique as they are. Woolly mammoths and rhinos, giant ground sloths, etc. they're all super interesting, but the reason I don't have them here is I just find anthropocene extinctions more interesting. Sure, humans had a role in Pleistocene megafauna extinctions, but they were also going out regardless. That being said, I'm a big cat fan and there isn't a better example of a cool big cat than the smilodon or saber-tooth cat. I tossed around American cheetah and cave lion for this spot, but really, it's gotta go to our denticulary well-endowed smilodon.
#3- Passenger Pigeon (Ectopistes migratorius)
I like to put the passenger pigeon in the category of "animals nobody would care about if it were still around," because it really does just look like a pigeon. However, the fact this was once the most wide-spread bird in all of North America with flocks that would darken the skies for hours as they passed over and they've been reduced to nothing is both crazy and tragic. I think one thing that puts this bird this high on the list too is the likelihood of it's de-extinction. While cloning is a controversial topic and people always talk about the woolly mammoth being the big one to get to, the idea of de-extinction for the passenger pigeon has been around and the Bronx Zoo even has a plan for an exhibit for them when it happens. I'd love to see this bird once again on Earth, and I think it has a better chance than most other extinct species which gives it this spot.
#2- Great Auk (Pinguinus impennis)
Yeah, I'm a bird guy, but the great auk is a fascinating species of seabird that once existed right in my home state of Maine. I could've had what is effectively the northern hemisphere equivalent to the penguin right outside my door, yet it was taken away. In reality, the great auk is a fascinating species of flightless seabird that played the same ecological role as penguins do. The idea of a northern equivalent to the beloved penguin is awesome and I wish they were still around.
#1- Thylacine (Thylacinus cynocephalus)
Not only is the thylacine my #1 on this list, but it is my favorite species of animal to have ever walked the Earth, and the fact it's extinct is a massive travesty. A carnivorous marsupial the size of a medium dog, with jaws that can unhinge like a snake, stripes like a tiger, and live in packs like wolves, what's not to love? The thylacine is just a fascinating species that is also on the shortlist for de-extinction and I really really need this one to happen. It really is the greatest animal of all time.
So what's your list? Are you a big dino-fan? Do you like the ice age species? Share below and don't forget to sign up for Manor of Mysteries starting this friday!
