It must have been shortly before the turn of the millennium when I found various books in an old display case in my grandparents’ attic, which nobody seemed to be interested in anymore. I remember one book that dealt with the origins of humanity, another was Two Years’ Vacation by Jules Verne, and the third one I still own to this day: Vom Aussterben bedroht? (Threatend with extinction?) by Igor Akimuschkin (1981 edition). I had no idea who Igor Akimuschkin was, but I had always found animals interesting, so I began to read.
The title of Akimushkin’s book does not deliver what it promises, as the first chapters actually deal with animal species that have long been extinct. But not dinosaurs, rather, for example, the dodo, the passenger pigeon, the thylacine, the aurochs, or the great auk – all creatures that have disappeared over the last 500 years. Creatures that became extinct because they were hunted or displaced by humans. Akimushkin’s vivid language seemed strange to me, but for the first time, I realized that the extinction of animals is not just millions of years ago, as in the case of dinosaurs, or about 10,000 years ago with mammoths. Rather, it became clear to me that animals are constantly going extinct.
As I delved deeper into the topic, bought a few books, and searched for information online, I quickly realized that the extinct animal species Akimushkin talks about are just the beginning. They are only those whose extinction is best documented or whose disappearance has left a lasting impression on their respective cultures. Many other vanished species are completely unknown, and most people don’t even know they ever existed. And in any case, all information is rarely found bundled together.
Coupled with my burgeoning interest in the possibilities offered by the internet at that time, this likely gave me the impetus to create my own website on the subject. On this website, I showcase both well-known and lesser-known extinct animal species and strive to keep the knowledge about these species up-to-date.
The German version of my website (artensterben.de) has been in existence for 22 years now, having been occasionally neglected and completely overhauled several times. I’ve never studied biology, ecology, or anything similar, so I write all my posts to the best of my knowledge and ability based on extensive research. I welcome suggestions, corrections, or tips via email. Thank you very much!
Here are some related websites that I can recommend:
- IUCN – Red List of Threatened Species [English] – Website of the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN), listing animals and plants assigned to threat categories, as well as already extinct species with information.
- The Recently Extinct Animals and Plants Database [English] – An extremely helpful database on animal and plant species and subspecies extinct in modern times, providing both key information and a wealth of literature references for each species.
- Extinction – a photographic Exploration by Marc Schlossman [English] – Marc Schlossmann photographed extinct and endangered species at the Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago for over ten years and presents his photos along with species information on the website.
- The Sixth Extinction – A Website about current Biodiversity Crisis [English] – A very good non-profit website about extinct animal species. The site in its original form has certainly existed longer than my website and served as an inspiration to me back then.
- New Zealand Birds Online [English] – An informative online encyclopedia of extinct and extant birds of New Zealand.
- Zootierliste [German] – Collected and structured data on current and historical vertebrate populations in zoos and other public animal holdings worldwide.
- Peter Dollinger’s Zootier-Lexikon [German] – Truly detailed information on vertebrates, invertebrates, and plants, accompanied by self-created images from zoos worldwide.
- Netzwerk für Kryptozoologie in Deutschland [German] – A highly recommended, up-to-date website on cryptozoology, because if someone claims to have seen or filmed an extinct thylacine, for example, I’m interested in that too.
A selection of recommended literature on species extinction, species discoveries, and species conservation:
- Australia’s Vanishing Mammals: Endangered and Extinct Native Species – Tim Flannery, Paula Kendall & Karen Wynn-Moylan, 1990 (ISBN: 978-0864381613)
- Darwin’s Dreampond: A Journey Through the Evolution of Island Worlds – Tijs Goldschmidt, 1994 / 1999 (ISBN: 978-3442150182)
- The Song of the Dodo: Island Biogeography in an Age of Extinctions – David Quammen, 1996 / 2001 (ISBN: 978-3548600406)
- The Diversity of Life: The Threat to Species Richness and Human Survival – Edward O. Wilson, 1992 / 1995 (ISBN: 978-3492036474)
- The Extinct Birds of the World – Dieter Luther, 1985 / 1995 (ISBN: 978-3894322137)
- The Lost Species: Great Expeditions into the Collections of Natural History Museums – Christopher Kemp, 2017 / 2019 (ISBN: 978-3956142918)
- Expeditions to the First of Their Kind: Extraordinary Animals and the Story of Their Discovery – Michael Ohl, 2022 (ISBN: 978-3423290432)
- Extinct and Vanishing Birds of the World – James C. Greenway, Jr., 1967 (ISBN: 978-0486218694)
- Extinct Birds – Errol Fuller, 1987 / 2001 (ISBN: 978-0198508373)
- Extinct Birds – Julian P. Hume, 2012 / 2017 (ISBN: 978-1472937445)
- Extinct Birds of Hawaii – Michael Walther & Julian P. Hume, 2016 / 2022 (ISBN: 978-1939487612)
- Gone: A Search for What Remains of the World’s Extinct Creatures – Michael Blencowe, 2021 (ISBN: 978-0711256750)
- Lost Land of the Dodo: An Ecological History of Mauritius, Réunion & Rodrigues – Anthony Cheke & Julian P. Hume, 2008 (ISBN: 978-1472980809)
- On the Track of Unknown Animals – Bernard Heuvelmans, 1955 / 1995 (ISBN: 9780710304988)
- Rendezvous of Mythical Creatures: Dragon, Unicorn & Co between Myth and Reality – Heinz-Ulrich Reyer, 2021 (ISBN: 978-3806243963)
- Giant Squids and Thylacines: On the Trail of Mysterious Animals – Lothar Frenz, 2000 (ISBN: 978-3871343902)
- The Doomsday Book of Animals: A Natural History of Vanished Species – David Day, 1981 (ISBN: 978-0670279876)
