A partial list of post-1500 CE mammalian extinctions
Most people are somewhat familiar with the fact that several mammalian species have gone extinct due to human activity over the past few centuries. However, it may be surprising to comprehend that the number of mammals lost recently goes well into the dozens. As a partial list of post-1500 CE mammalian extinctions , this page is a primer to the gap humanity has left in nature. There are few megafaunas here, with most species being on the smaller side. Rodents in particular are well represented. Still, the loss of a species of rat or mouse is just as much of a tragedy as that of more charismatic icons of extinction, such as sea cows or thylacines. Environmental conservation is about preserving all lifeforms, and the plight of small organisms is too often overlooked. Often, species here are extinct as the result of invasive predators or competitors, such as red foxes. Note too that many species originate on islands such as Madagascar or Samoa. Islands are fragile laboratories for cre