List of recently extinct mammals
Recently extinct mammals are defined by the International Union for Conservation of Nature as any mammals that have become extinct since the year 1500 CE. Since then, roughly 80 mammal species have become extinct.
Extinction of taxa is difficult to confirm, as a long gap without a sighting is not definitive, but before 1995 a threshold of 50 years without a sighting was used to declare extinction.
One study found that extinction from habitat loss is the hardest to detect, as this might only fragment populations to the point of concealment from humans. Some mammals declared as extinct may very well reappear. For example, a study found that 36% of purported mammalian extinction had been resolved, while the rest either had validity issues or had been rediscovered.
As of June 2023, the IUCN listed 233 mammalian species as critically endangered, while 27% of all mammalian species were threatened with extinction.
Conventions
All species listed here as extinct are designated by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. Species which are extinct in the wild only reside in captivity. Species listed as possibly extinct are classified as being critically endangered, as it is unknown whether or not these species are extinct. Extinct subspecies such as the Javan tiger are not listed here as the species, in this case Panthera tigris, is still extant. The IUCN Redlist classification for each species serves as a citation, and the superscripted "IUCN" by the date is a link to that species' page. A range map is provided where available, and a description of their former or current range is given if a range map is not available.Causes of extinction
Anthropogenic habitat degradation is the main cause of species extinctions now. The main cause of habitat degradation worldwide is agriculture, with urban sprawl, logging, mining and some fishing practices close behind. The physical destruction of a habitat, both directly and indirectly, is an example of this.Also, increasing toxicity, through media such as pesticides, can kill off a species very rapidly, by killing all living members through contamination or sterilizing them. Persistent organic pollutants, for example, can bioaccumulate to hazardous levels, getting increasingly dangerous further up the food chain.
Disease can also be a factor: white nose syndrome in bats, for example, is causing a substantial decline in their populations and may even lead to the extinction of some species.
Overhunting also has an impact. Terrestrial mammals, such as the tiger and deer, are mainly hunted for their pelts and in some cases meat, and marine mammals can be hunted for their oil and leather. Specific targeting of one species can be problematic to the ecosystem because the sudden demise of one species can inadvertently lead to the demise of another especially if the targeted species is a keystone species. Sea otters, for example, were hunted in the maritime fur trade, and their drop in population led to the rise in sea urchins—their main food source—which decreased the population of kelp—the sea urchin's and Steller's sea cow's main food source—leading to the extinction of the Steller's sea cow. The hunting of an already limited species can easily lead to its extinction, as with the bluebuck whose range was confined to and which was hunted into extinction soon after discovery by European settlers.
Australia
Island creatures are usually endemic to only that island, and that limited range and small population can leave them vulnerable to sudden changes. While Australia is a continent and not an island, due to its geographical isolation, its unique fauna has suffered an extreme decline in mammal species, 10% of its 273 terrestrial mammals, since European settlement ; in contrast, only one species in North America has become extinct since European settlement. Furthermore, 21% of Australia's mammals are threatened, and unlike in most other continents, the main cause is predation by feral species, such as cats.Extinct species
A species is declared extinct after exhaustive surveys of all potential habitats eliminate all reasonable doubt that the last individual of a species, whether in the wild or in captivity, has died. Recently extinct species are defined by the IUCN as becoming extinct after 1500 CE.| Common name | Binomial name | Order | Date of extinction | Former range | Picture |
| Broad-faced potoroo | Potorous platyops Gould, 1844 | Diprotodontia | 1875 | Australia | |
| Eastern hare wallaby | Lagorchestes leporides Gould, 1841 | Diprotodontia | 1889 | ||
| Lake Mackay hare-wallaby | Lagorchestes asomatus Finlayson, 1943 | Diprotodontia | 1932 | Australia | |
| Desert rat-kangaroo | Caloprymnus campestris Gould, 1843 | Diprotodontia | 1935 | ||
| Thylacine or Tasmanian wolf/tiger | Thylacinus cynocephalus Harris, 1808 | Dasyuromorphia | 1936 | ||
| Toolache wallaby | Macropus greyi Waterhouse, 1846 | Diprotodontia | 1939 | Australia | |
| Desert bandicoot | Perameles eremiana Spencer, 1837 | Peramelemorphia | 1943 | Australia | |
| New South Wales barred bandicoot | Perameles fasciata Gray, 1841 | Peramelemorphia | mid-19th century | Australia | |
| Southwestern barred bandicoot | Perameles myosuros Wagner, 1841 | Peramelemorphia | mid-19th century | Australia | |
| Southern barred bandicoot | Perameles notina Thomas, 1922 | Peramelemorphia | mid-19th century | Australia | |
| Nullarbor barred bandicoot | Perameles papillon Travouillon & Phillips, 2018 | Peramelemorphia | early 20th century | Australia | |
| Lesser bilby or yallara | Macrotis leucura Thomas, 1887 | Peramelemorphia | 1960s | ||
| Southern pig-footed bandicoot | Chaeropus ecaudatus Ogilby, 1838 | Peramelemorphia | 1950s | ||
| Northern pig-footed bandicoot | Chaeropus yirratji Travouillon et al., 2019 | Peramelemorphia | 1950s | ||
| Crescent nail-tail wallaby | Onychogalea lunata Gould, 1841 | Diprotodontia | 1956 | Australia | |
| Red-bellied gracile opossum or red-bellied gracile mouse opossum | Cryptonanus ignitus Díaz, Flores and Barquez, 2002 | Didelphimorphia | 1962 | Argentina | |
| Nullarbor dwarf bettong | Bettongia pusilla McNamara, 1997 | Diprotodontia | early 1500s | Australia | |
| Steller's sea cow | Hydrodamalis gigas von Zimmermann, 1780 | Sirenia | 1768 | Commander Islands | |
| Bramble Cay melomys | Melomys rubicola Thomas, 1924 | Rodentia | 2016 | Australia | |
| Oriente cave rat | Boromys offella Miller, 1916 | Rodentia | early 1500s | Cuba | |
| Torre's cave rat | Boromys torrei Allen, 1917 | Rodentia | early 1500s | Cuba | |
| Imposter hutia | Hexolobodon phenax Miller, 1929 | Rodentia | early 1500s | Hispaniola | |
| Montane hutia | Isolobodon montanus Miller, 1922 | Rodentia | early 1500s | Hispaniola | |
| Dwarf viscacha | Lagostomus crassus Thomas, 1910 | Rodentia | early 1900s | Peru | |
| Galápagos giant rat | Megaoryzomys curioi Niethammer, 1964 | Rodentia | 1500s | Santa Cruz Island (Galápagos) | |
| Cuban coney | Geocapromys columbianus Chapman, 1892 | Rodentia | early 1500s | Cuba | |
| Hispaniolan edible rat | Brotomys voratus Miller, 1916 | Rodentia | 1536–1546 | Hispaniola | |
| Puerto Rican hutia | Isolobodon portoricensis Allen, 1916 | Rodentia | early 1900s | Hispaniola; introduced to Puerto Rico, Saint Thomas Island, Saint Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands and Mona Island | |
| Big-eared hopping mouse | Notomys macrotis Thomas, 1921 | Rodentia | 1843 | Australia | |
| Darling Downs hopping mouse | Notomys mordax Thomas, 1921 | Rodentia | 1846 | Australia | |
| White-footed rabbit-rat | Conilurus albipes Lichtenstein, 1829 | Rodentia | early 1860s | Australia | |
| Capricorn rabbit rat | Conilurus capricornensis Cramb and Hocknull, 2010 | Rodentia | early 1500s | Australia | |
| Short-tailed hopping mouse | Notomys amplus Brazenor, 1936 | Rodentia | 1896 | Australia | |
| Long-tailed hopping mouse | Notomys longicaudatus Gould, 1844 | Rodentia | 1901 | Australia | |
| Great hopping mouse | Notomys robustus Mahoney, Smith and Medlin, 2008 | Rodentia | mid-1800s | Australia | |
| Desmarest's pilorie or Martinique giant rice rat | Megalomys desmarestii Fischer, 1829 | Rodentia | 1902 | Martinique | |
| Saint Lucia pilorie or Saint Lucia giant rice rat | Megalomys luciae Major, 1901 | Rodentia | 1881 | Saint Lucia | |
| Bulldog rat | Rattus nativitatis Thomas, 1888 | Rodentia | 1903 | Christmas Island | |
| Maclear's rat | Rattus macleari Thomas, 1887 | Rodentia | 1903 | Christmas Island | |
| Darwin's Galápagos mouse | Nesoryzomys darwini Osgood, 1929 | Rodentia | 1930 | Galápagos Islands | |
| Gould's mouse | Pseudomys gouldii Waterhouse, 1839 | Rodentia | 1930 | Australia | |
| Plains rat or palyoora | Pseudomys auritus Thomas, 1910 | Rodentia | early 1800s | Australia | |
| Pemberton's deer mouse | Peromyscus pembertoni Burt, 1932 | Rodentia | 1931 | San Pedro Nolasco Island, Mexico | |
| Samaná hutia | Plagiodontia ipnaeum Johnson, 1948 | Rodentia | early 1500s | Hispaniola | |
| Hispaniola monkey | Antillothrix bernensis MacPhee, Horovitz, Arredondo, & Jimenez Vasquez, 1995 | Primates | early 16th century | Hispaniola | |
| Lesser stick-nest rat or white-tipped stick-nest rat | Leporillus apicalis John Gould, 1854 | Rodentia | 1933 | Australia | |
| Indefatigable Galápagos mouse | Nesoryzomys indefessus Thomas, 1899 | Rodentia | 1934 | Galápagos Islands | |
| Little Swan Island hutia | Geocapromys thoracatus True, 1888 | Rodentia | 1955 | Swan Islands, Honduras | |
| Blue-gray mouse | Pseudomys glaucus Thomas, 1910 | Rodentia | 1956 | Australia | |
| Buhler's coryphomys or Buhler's rat | Coryphomys buehleri Schaub, 1937 | Rodentia | early 1500s | West Timor, Indonesia | |
| Insular cave rat | Heteropsomys insulans Anthony, 1916 | Rodentia | early 1500s | Vieques Island, Puerto Rico | |
| Candango mouse | Juscelinomys candango Moojen, 1965 | Rodentia | 1960 | Central Brazil | |
| Anthony's woodrat | Neotoma anthonyi Allen, 1898 | Rodentia | 1926 | Isla Todos Santos, Mexico | |
| Bunker's woodrat | Neotoma bunkeri Burt, 1932 | Rodentia | 1931 | Coronado Islands, Mexico | |
| Vespucci's rodent | Noronhomys vespuccii Carleton and Olson, 1999 | Rodentia | 1500 | Fernando de Noronha, Brazil | |
| St. Vincent colilargo or St. Vincent pygmy rice rat | Oligoryzomys victus Thomas, 1898 | Rodentia | 1892 | Saint Vincent | |
| Jamaican rice rat | Oryzomys antillarum Thomas, 1898 | Rodentia | 1877 | Jamaica | |
| Nelson's rice rat | Oryzomys nelsoni Merriam, 1889 | Rodentia | 1897 | Islas Marías, Mexico | |
| Nevis rice rat, St. Eustatius rice rat, or St. Kitts rice rat | Pennatomys nivalis Turvey, Weksler, Morris & Nokkert, 2010 | Rodentia | early 1500s | Sint Eustatius and Saint Kitts and Nevis | |
| Christmas Island pipistrelle | Pipistrellus murrayi Andrews, 1900 | Chiroptera | 2009 | Christmas Island | |
| Sardinian pika | Prolagus sardus Wagner, 1832 | Lagomorpha | 1774 | Corsica and Sardinia | |
| Marcano's solenodon | Solenodon marcanoi Patterson, 1962 | Eulipotyphla | 1500s | Dominican Republic | |
| Puerto Rican nesophontes | Nesophontes edithae Anthony, 1916 | Eulipotyphla | early 1500s | Puerto Rico, Vieques Island, Saint John, U.S. Virgin Islands and Saint Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands | |
| Atalaye nesophontes | Nesophontes hypomicrus Miller, 1929 | Eulipotyphla | early 1500s | Hispaniola | |
| Greater Cuban nesophontes | Nesophontes major Arredondo, 1970 | Eulipotyphla | early 1500s | Cuba | |
| Western Cuban nesophontes | Nesophontes micrus Allen, 1917 | Eulipotyphla | early 1500s | Cuba | |
| St. Michel nesophontes | Nesophontes paramicrus Miller, 1929 | Eulipotyphla | early 1500s | Hispaniola | |
| Haitian nesophontes | Nesophontes zamicrus Miller, 1929 | Eulipotyphla | early 1500s | Haiti | |
| Lesser Mascarene flying fox or dark flying fox | Pteropus subniger kerr, 1792 | Chiroptera | 1864 | Réunion, Mauritius | |
| Guam flying fox or Guam fruit bat | Pteropus tokudae Tate, 1934 | Chiroptera | 1968 | Guam | |
| Dusky flying fox or Percy Island flying fox | Pteropus brunneus Dobson, 1878 | Chiroptera | 1870 | Percy Islands | |
| Large Palau flying fox | Pteropus pilosus Andersen, 1908 | Chiroptera | 1874 | Palau | |
| Large sloth lemur | Palaeopropithecus ingens Grandidier, 1899 | Primates | 1620 | In green | |
| Aurochs | Bos primigenius Bojanus, 1827 | Artiodactyla | 1627 | ||
| Bluebuck | Hippotragus leucophaeus Pallas, 1766 | Artiodactyla | 1800 | ||
| Red gazelle | Eudorcas rufina Thomas, 1894 | Artiodactyla | late 1800s | Algeria | |
| Schomburgk's deer | Rucervus schomburgki Blyth, 1863 | Artiodactyla | 1932 | Thailand | |
| Queen of Sheba's gazelle or Yemen gazelle | Gazella bilkis Grover and Lay, 1985 | Artiodactyla | 1951 | Yemen | |
| Madagascan dwarf hippopotamus | Hippopotamus lemerlei Milne-Edwards, 1868 | Artiodactyla | early 1500s | Madagascar | |
| Falkland Islands wolf or warrah | Dusicyon australis Kerr, 1792 | Carnivora | 1876 | Falkland Islands | |
| Dusicyon avus | Dusicyon avus Burmeister, 1866 | Carnivora | early 1500s | Argentina, Chile, Brazil, Uruguay, Paraguay | |
| Sea mink | Neogale macrodon Prentiss, 1903 | Carnivora | 1894 | United States and Canada | |
| Japanese sea lion | Zalophus japonicus Peters, 1866 | Carnivora | 1970s | Japan, Korea, Russia | |
| Caribbean monk seal | Neomonachus tropicalis Gray, 1850 | Carnivora | 1952 | Caribbean Sea | |
| Giant fossa | Cryptoprocta spelea Grandidier, 1902 | Carnivora | before 1658 | ||
| Lord Howe long-eared bat | Nyctophilus howensis McKean, 1975 | Chiroptera | prior to 1972 | Lord Howe Island, Australia | - |
| Japanese otter | Lutra nippon Imaizumi & Yoshiyuki, 1989 | Carnivora | 1990s | Japan |
Extinct in the wild
A species that is extinct in the wild is one which has been categorized by the International Union for Conservation of Nature as only known by living members kept in captivity or as a naturalized population outside its historic range due to massive habitat loss. A species is declared extinct in the wild after thorough surveys have inspected its historic range and failed to find evidence of a surviving individual.| Common name | Binomial name | Order | Date of extinction | Former range | Picture |
| Père David's deer | Elaphurus davidianus Milne-Edwards, 1866 | Artiodactyla | 1939 | China |