Extinction Of Animals
Extinction is the end of a species, which is also known as the death of the last individual of the species. When we think about extinction, some animals come to our minds such as tiger, panda or blue whale. But they are just several of the animals that are endangered. If an animal is endangered, it means that it is at risk of becoming extinct.
Extinction is a natural part of evolution. But it sometimes happens at a much faster rate than usual. For instance, a mass extinction caused the death of many different types of animal and plant species at the end of the Cretaceous period 65 million years ago.
The numbers are terrifying if we think about the whole history of the earth. Here are some of the most amazing extinct animals.
Tyrannosaurus Rex
Tyrannosaurus Rex was one of the largest land animals that have ever lived on earth. It was up to 43,3 feet long, and 16,6 feet tall, with an estimated mass that went up to 7 tons. It became extinct 65 million years ago.
The Dodo
Dodo was a flightless bird which was native to the islands of Mauritius. The last dodo was seen around the 17th century, and it is thought that they became extinct in the 1800s.
The Tasmanian Tiger
The Tasmanian Tiger, also known as Thylacine, was native to Australia and New Guinea. It is thought to have become extinct in the 20th century. The last Tasmanian tiger was seen in 1936.
The Saber-Toothed Tiger
The Saber-Toothed Tiger, also known as Smilodon, lived in North and South America 10,000 years ago. This cat was almost the same size of a lion.
Steller’s Sea Cow
Steller’s Sea Cow was discovered by the naturalist Georg Steller in 1741. It lived in Bering Sea until they became extinct in 1768. A sea cow was over 25 feet long and weighed as much as 10 tons.
Quagga
The quagga was a subspecies of zebra which looked like a half zebra and a half horse. It was largely found in South Africa until it became extinct in 1883.