List of extinct animals of Europe
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This list of extinct animals in Europe features the animals that have become extinct on the European continent and some in other dependent territories of European countries. While most of the animals in the recent Holocene have a human-caused extinction,[1] Pleistocene extinctions and early Holocene extinctions are contested. Many theories of the cause of their extinction have been presented; some human-caused while others as a product of climate change. The K-T extinction is also contested, with the major cause being either both volcano and meteor or just a meteorite that caused the extinction of the non-avian dinosaurs.
Many of the extinct animals were subspecies or color morphs such as the pied raven or disputed species like the tarpan or the gravenche. Most extinctions occurred in prehistoric times. The species gone extinct in the last 500 years were mostly from peripheral regions of Europe like the Caucasus, the North Atlantic or Mediterranean islands. Except for molluscs, the only species extinct in the heartland of Europe in the last 500 years is the aurochs, which survives in the form of primitive cattle breeds that possess similar physical features.
Map of Europe
Prehistoric and earlier extinctions[edit]
Mammals[edit]
| Common name/scientific name | Extinction date | Range | Image |
|---|---|---|---|
| Balearic giant shrew Nesiotites hidalgo | unknown |
Spain (the Balearic Islands) | -- |
| Balearic Islands cave goat
Myotragus balearicus |
3,000 BC | Spain (the Balearic Islands) | 
|
| Bison schoetensacki
Bison schoetensacki |
Continental Europe | 
| |
| Canary Islands giant rats Canariomys bravoi and Canariomys tamarani | before 1500 |
Spain (the Canary Islands) | 
|
| Cave bear Ursus spelaeus | 27,500 BC |
Europe | 
|
| Cave hyena Crocuta crocuta spelaea | 11,000 BC |
Europe | 
|
| European Ice Age leopard Panthera pardus spelaea | c. 24,000 BC |
Europe | |
| Eurasian cave lion
Panthera spelaea |
10,000 BC |
Europe | 
|
| Cretan dwarf megacerine | Late Pleistocene |
Greece (Crete) | -- |
| Dwarf elephant | unknown |
various Mediterranean islands | 
|
| Elasmotherium Elasmotherium sp. | 10,000 BC |
Europe | 
|
| European ass Equus hydruntinus | Holocene |
Europe | -- |
| European dhole Cuon alpinus europaeus | Holocene |
Europe | -- |
| European gazelle Gazella borbonica | Holocene |
Europe | -- |
| Giant Deer Megaloceros giganteus | 5,000 BC |
northern Europe | 
|
| Homotherium Homotherium sp. | 10,000 BC |
Europe | 
|
| Majorcan giant dormouse Hypnomys morphaeus | unknown |
Spain (Majorca) | -- |
| Maltese hippopotamus Hippopotamus melitensis | unknown |
Malta | -- |
| Minorcan giant dormouse Hypnomys mahonensis | unknown |
Spain (Minorca) | -- |
| Sardinian dhole Cynotherium sardous | unknown |
France (Corsica) and Italy (Sardinia) | -- |
| Steppe bison Bison priscus |
5,400[2] |
British Isles and continental Europe | 
|
| Stephanorhinus Stephanorhinus sp. | unknown |
Europe | 
|
| Woolly mammoth Mammuthus primigenius | earlier than 10,000 BC |
Europe | 
|
| Woolly rhinoceros Coelodonta antiquitatis | 10,000 BC |
Europe | 
|
Birds[edit]
| Common name/scientific name | Extinction date | Range | Image |
|---|---|---|---|
| Giant swan Cygnus falconeri |
Late Pleistocene |
Italy (Sicily) and Malta | -- |
| Ibizan rail Rallus eivissensis |
5,000 BC |
Spain (the Balearic Islands) | -- |
| Cretan owl Athene cretensis |
Late Pleistocene | Greece (Crete) | -- |
Recent extinctions[edit]
Mammals[edit]
| Common name/scientific name | Extinction date | Range | Image |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aurochs Bos primigenius[3] |
1627 |
Europe (native to Poland) | 
|
| Atlantic gray whale Eschrichtius robustus |
17th Century |
North Atlantic (seen in Mediterranean in 2010) | 
|
| Caspian tiger Panthera tigris tigris, syn. Panthera tigris virgata[4] |
1970s |
Turkey to the Caucasus Mountains | 
|
| Caucasian elk Alces alces caucasicus |
1850s |
the Caucasus Mountains | 
|
| Caucasian wisent Bison bonasus caucasicus |
1925 |
the Caucasus Mountains | 
|
| Carpathian wisent Bison bonasus hungarorum |
1790 |
the Carpathian Mountains | |
| Lion Panthera leo leo[5][6][7] |
1st to 4th century AD - 10th century AD |
Balkans - Transcaucasia | 
|
| Majorcan hare Lepus granatensis solisi |
1980s |
Spain (Majorca) | -- |
| Portuguese ibex Capra pyrenaica lusitanica |
1892 |
Portugal and Spain | 
|
| Pyrenean ibex Capra pyrenaica pyrenaica |
2000[A] |
Andorra, France, Portugal and Spain | 
|
| Sardinian giant shrew Nesiotites similis |
1500s |
Italy (Sardinia) | -- |
| Saiga antelope Saiga tatarica |
19th century | Moldova, Poland, Romania, Russia, Ukraine | 
|
| Sardinian pika Prolagus sardus[9] |
1774 |
Italy (Sardinia) | 
|
| St. Kilda house mouse Mus musculus muralis |
1930 |
the United Kingdom (St. Kilda) | 
|
| Tarpan Equus ferus ferus |
1909 |
Europe | 
|
Birds[edit]
| Common name/scientific name | Extinction date | Range | Image |
|---|---|---|---|
| Great auk Pinguinus impennis |
1854 |
Iceland and the northern European coast | 
|
| Pied raven Corvus corax varius morpha leucophaeus |
1950 |
Denmark (the Faroe Islands) | 
|
Reptiles[edit]
| Common name/scientific name | Extinction date | Range | Image |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ratas Island lizard Podarcis lilfordi rodriquezi |
1950 |
Spain (Minorca) | -- |
| Roque Chico de Salmor giant lizard Gallotia simonyi simonyi |
1930s |
Spain (the Canary Islands) | 
|
| Santo Stefano lizard Podarcis sicula sanctistephani |
1965 |
Italy (Santo Stefano Island) | -- |
Fish[edit]
| Common name/scientific name | Extinction date | Range | Image |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chondrostoma scodrense[10] | late 19th century |
Albania and Montenegro | -- |
| Coregonus bezola[11] | 1960s |
Lac du Bourget, France | -- |
| Coregonus fera[12] | 1950 |
France and Switzerland | -- |
| Coregonus restrictus[13] | 1890 |
Lake Morat, Switzerland | -- |
| Gravenche Coregonus hiemalis[14] |
1950 |
France and Switzerland | 
|
| Houting Coregonus oxyrinchus[15] |
1940 |
Belgium, France, Germany, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom | 
|
| Lake Constance whitefish Coregonus gutturosus[16] |
1930s |
Austria, Germany and Switzerland | 
|
| Danube delta gudgeon[17] | 1890 |
the Lower Danube, Romania and Ukraine | -- |
| Salvelinus neocomensis[18] | 1904 |
Lake Neuchâtel, Switzerland | -- |
| Techirghiol stickleback Gasterosteus crenobiontus[19] |
1960s |
Lake Techirghiol, Romania | -- |
| Ukrainian migratory lamprey Eudontomyzon sp. nov. 'migratory'[20] |
Unknown |
Moldova, Russia and Ukraine | -- |
Insects[edit]
| Common name/scientific name | Extinction date | Range | Image |
|---|---|---|---|
| Madeiran large white Pieris brassicae wollastoni[21] |
1970s |
Portugal (Madeira) | 
|
| British large copper Lycaena dispar dispar[22] |
1864 |
England | |
| Silver-studded blue subsp. masseyi Plebejus argus masseyi[23] |
1940s | England (Cumbria and Lancashire) | |
| Scarce large blue subsp. burdigalensis Phengaris teleius burdigalensis |
? | France | |
| Perrin's cave beetle Siettitia balsetensis[24] |
Unknown |
France | -- |
| Tobias' caddisfly Hydropsyche tobiasi[25] |
1938 |
Germany | -- |
Sea anemones[edit]
Possibly extinct| Common name/scientific name | Extinction date | Range | Image |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ivell's sea anemone Edwardsia ivelli [26] |
1983 |
Widewater Lagoon, the United Kingdom | -- |
Molluscs[edit]
22 species and three subspecies of gastropods have become extinct in Europe since 1500.[27] No species of bivalves are known to have become extinct in Europe after 1500.[27]
- Belgrandia varica (J. Paget, 1854),[27] already said CR on IUCN Red List [1]
- Belgrandiella boetersi (P. Reischutz & Falkner, 1998) = Belgrandiella intermedia (Austria)[27]
- Bythiospeum pfeifferi (Clessin, 1890)[27]
- Caseolus calvus galeatus (R. T. Lowe, 1862)[27]
- Discula lyelliana (R. T. Lowe, 1852)[27]
- Discula tetrica (R. T. Lowe, 1862)[27]
- Discus engonatus (Shuttleworth, 1852)[27]
- Discus retextus (Shuttleworth, 1852)[27]
- Discus textilis (Shuttleworth, 1852)[27]
- Geomitra delphinuloides (R. T. Lowe 1860)[27]
- Geomitra grabhami (Wollaston, 1878)[27]
- Graecoanatolica macedonica Radoman & Stankovic, 1979 - (Lake Dorjan, North Macedonia, Greece)[27]
- Gyralina hausdorfi Riedel, 1990[27]
- Janulus pompylius (Shuttleworth, 1852)[27]
- Keraea garachicoensis (Wollaston, 1878)[27]
- Leiostyla abbreviata (R. T. Lowe, 1852)[27]
- Leiostyla gibba (R. T. Lowe, 1852)[27]
- Leiostyla lamellosa (R. T. Lowe, 1852)[27]
- Leptaxis simia hyaena (R. T. Lowe, 1852)[27]
- Ohridohauffenia drimica (Radoman, 1964) - (North Macedonia)[27]
- Parmacella gervaisii Moquin-Tandon, 1850[27]
- Pseudocampylaea loweii (A. Ferussac, 1835)[27]
- Zonites embolium elevatus Riedel & Mylonas, 1997[27]
- Zonites santoriniensis Riedel & Norris, 1987[27]
- Zonites siphnicus Fuchs & Käufel, 1936[27]
See also[edit]
- Limousin horse, extinct
- List of extinct animals of Catalonia
- List of extinct animals of Caucasus
- List of extinct animals of the British Isles
- List of extinct and endangered species of Italy
- List of extinct and endangered animals of Lithuania
- List of extinct animals of the Netherlands
- List of extinct animals
- List of extinct birds
- Extinct in the wild
- Lazarus taxon
Notes[edit]
References[edit]
- ^ Baillie, J.E.M., Hilton-Taylor, C. and Stuart, S.N. (Editors) 2004. 2004 IUCN Red List Threatened Species. A Global Species Assessment. IUCN, Gland, Switzerland and Cambridge, UK. xxiv + 191 pp. Online pdf
- ^ Zazula, GD, Hall, E., Hare, PG, Thomas, C., Mathewes, R., La Farge, C., et al. (2017). A middle holocene steppe bison and paleoenvironments from the versleuce meadows, Whitehorse, Yukon, Canada. Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences, 54(11), pp.1138-1152.
- ^ Tikhonov, A. (2008). "Bos primigenius". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2008: e.T136721A4332142. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2008.RLTS.T136721A4332142.en. Retrieved 13 January 2018.
- ^ Jackson, P. & Nowell, K. (2011). "Panthera tigris ssp. virgata (Caspian Tiger, Hyrcanian Tiger, Turan Tiger)". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2011. Retrieved December 24, 2013.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
- ^ Alden, M. (2005). "Lions in paradise: Lion similes in the Iliad and the Lion Cubs of IL. 18.318-22". The Classical Quarterly (55): 335–342.
- ^ Uhm, D.P. van (2016). The Illegal Wildlife Trade: Inside the World of Poachers, Smugglers and Traders. Switzerland: Springer International Publishing.
- ^ Heptner, V. G.; Sludskiy, A. A. (1992) [1972]. "Lion". Mlekopitajuščie Sovetskogo Soiuza. Moskva: Vysšaia Škola [Mammals of the Soviet Union, Volume II, Part 2]. Washington DC: Smithsonian Institution and the National Science Foundation. pp. 83–95. ISBN 978-90-04-08876-4.
- ^ J. Folch; J. Cocero; M. J. Chesne; P. Alabart; J. K. Dominguez; V. Congnie; Y. Roche; A. Fernández-Árias; A. Marti; J. I. Sánchez; P. Echegoyen; E. Beckers; J. F. Sánchez; A. Bonastre; X. Vignon (2009). "First birth of an animal from an extinct subspecies (Capra pyrenaica pyrenaica) by cloning". Theriogenology. 71 (#6): 1026–1034. doi:10.1016/j.theriogenology.2008.11.005. PMID 19167744.
- ^ Smith, A.T. & Johnston, C.H. (2008). "Prolagus sardus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2008: e.T18338A8103116. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2008.RLTS.T18338A8103116.en. Retrieved 13 January 2018.
- ^ Crivelli, A.J. (2006). "Chondrostoma scodrense". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2006: e.T61345A12465545. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2006.RLTS.T61345A12465545.en. Retrieved 13 January 2018.
- ^ Freyhof, J. & Kottelat, M. (2008). "Coregonus bezola". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2008: e.T135556A4144562. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2008.RLTS.T135556A4144562.en. Retrieved 13 January 2018.
- ^ Freyhof, J. & Kottelat, M. (2008). "Coregonus fera". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2008: e.T135627A4165119. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2008.RLTS.T135627A4165119.en. Retrieved 13 January 2018.
- ^ Freyhof, J. & Kottelat, M. (2008). "Coregonus restrictus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2008: e.T135570A4149314. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2008.RLTS.T135570A4149314.en. Retrieved 13 January 2018.
- ^ Freyhof, J. & Kottelat, M. (2008). "Coregonus hiemalis". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2008: e.T135671A4175929. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2008.RLTS.T135671A4175929.en. Retrieved 13 January 2018.
- ^ Freyhof, J. & Kottelat, M. (2008). "Coregonus oxyrinchus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2008: e.T5380A11126034. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2008.RLTS.T5380A11126034.en. Retrieved 13 January 2018.
- ^ Freyhof, J. & Kottelat, M. (2008). "Coregonus gutturosus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2008: e.T135506A4134620. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2008.RLTS.T135506A4134620.en. Retrieved 13 January 2018.
- ^ Freyhof, J. & Kottelat, M. (2008). "Romanogobio antipai". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2008: e.T135636A4167651. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2008.RLTS.T135636A4167651.en. Retrieved 13 January 2018.
- ^ Freyhof, J. & Kottelat, M. (2008). "Salvelinus neocomensis". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2008: e.T135421A4127253. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2008.RLTS.T135421A4127253.en. Retrieved 13 January 2018.
- ^ Freyhof, J. & Kottelat, M. (2008). "Gasterosteus crenobiontus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2008: e.T135637A4167779. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2008.RLTS.T135637A4167779.en. Retrieved 13 January 2018.
- ^ Freyhof, J. & Kottelat, M. (2008). "Eudontomyzon sp. nov. 'migratory'". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2008.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
- ^ van Swaay, C.; Wynhoff, I.; Verovnik, R.; Wiemers, M.; López Munguira, M.; Maes, D.; Sasic, M.; Verstrael, T.; Warren, M. & Settele, J. (2010). "Pieris wollastoni". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2010: e.T39483A10240995. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2010-1.RLTS.T39483A10240995.en. Retrieved 13 January 2018.
- ^ Thomas, J., R. Lewington, 2010. The Butterflies of Britain & Ireland. British Wildlife Publishing, Milton on Stour, U.K..
- ^ Emmet, A.M., J. Heath et al. (Ed.), 1990. The Butterflies of Great Britain and Ireland. The Moths and Butterflies of Great Britain and Ireland Vol. 7 Part 1 (Hesperiidae to Nymphalidae). Harley Books, Colchester, U.K.. 370p.
- ^ World Conservation Monitoring Centre (1996). "Siettitia balsetensis". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 1996: e.T20207A9179037. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.1996.RLTS.T20207A9179037.en. Retrieved 13 January 2018.
- ^ World Conservation Monitoring Centre (1996). "Hydropsyche tobiasi (Tobias' Caddisfly)". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 1996. Retrieved December 25, 2013.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
- ^ "Missing: Possibly Extinct, The Sixth Extinction". The Sixth Extinction. Extinct.petermaas.nl. Archived from the original on October 30, 2013. Retrieved December 18, 2013.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa Fontaine B., Bouchet P., Van Achterberg K., Alonso-Zarazaga M. A., Araujo R. et al. (2007). "The European union’s 2010 target: Putting rare species in focus." Biological Conservation 139: 167-185. Table 2 on the page 173. doi:10.1016/j.biocon.2007.06.012. PDF.