Wikipedia:WikiProject Extinction

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Project Templates

• {{WikiProject Extinction}} - Add to article, image, catergory or template talk pages that are Extinction related.
• {{Dinosaur-stub}} - Notice placed on a dinosaur related stub.
• {{Paleo-stub}} - Notice placed on a paleontology related stub.
• {{Paleontologist-stub}}- Notice placed on a paleontologist's stub.
• {{User WikiProject Extinction}}- Add to participant's userpages.

This WikiProject covers recently extinct and endangered organisms, and extinction in general.

WikiProject Palaeontology covers organisms which became extinct before the arrival of modern humans (>100,000-50,000 years ago, depending on location).

A few Wikipedians have gotten together to discuss how we might organize data in extinction-related articles. These are only suggestions, things to give you focus and to get you going, and you shouldn't feel obligated in the least to follow them. But if you don't know what to write or where to begin, following the below guidelines may be helpful. Mainly, we just want you to write articles! Please feel free to add yourself to the list of participants below.

Extinction articles by quality and importance
Quality	Importance
	Top	High	Mid	Low	NA	???	Total
FA	4	7	9	35			55
FL		1					1
GA		3	1	15			19
B	7	12	11	29		1	60
C	1	31	33	90		4	159
Start	1	21	54	256		6	338
Stub		19	14	398		3	434
List		10	14	40		2	66
Category					310		310
Disambig					1		1
File					7		7
Project					14		14
Redirect		1	1	19	55		76
Template					31		31
Other					2		2
Assessed	13	105	137	882	420	16	1,573
Total	13	105	137	882	420	16	1,573
WikiWork factors (?)		ω = 5,148			Ω = 4.83

Article alerts Categories for discussion

• 02 Feb 2026 – Category:Extinct animals of the United States (talk · edit · hist) was CfDed by An anonymous username, not my real name (t · c); see discussion

This WikiProject descends from WikiProject Science and WikiProject Biology. Related or overlapping projects are Wikipedia:WikiProject Tree of Life, WikiProject Mammals. WikiProject Birds, WikiProject Amphibians and Reptiles, WikiProject Turtles, WikiProject Dinosaurs, WikiProject Arthropods, WikiProject Fishes, WikiProject Plants and WikiProject Palaeontology.

• Lists of extinct species
• List of extinct plants
• List of extinct and endangered species of Lithuania
• Lists of extinct animals
  • List of extinct animals of Europe
    • List of extinct animals of the British Isles
    • List of extinct animals of Catalonia
    • List of extinct animals of the Netherlands
  • List of North American animals extinct in the Holocene
  • List of South American animals extinct in the Holocene
    • List of extinct animals of Martinique and Guadeloupe
  • List of African animals extinct in the Holocene
    • List of extinct animals of Réunion
  • List of Asian animals extinct in the Holocene
  • List of extinct animals of Australia
  • List of New Zealand animals extinct in the Holocene
• List of dinosaur genera
• List of fossil bird genera
• List of Late Quaternary prehistoric bird species
• List of recently extinct bird species
• List of prehistoric mammals
  • List of extinct cetaceans
  • List of fossil primates

Babakotia - Bluebuck - Broad-billed parrot - Choiseul pigeon - Columbian mammoth - Cuban macaw - Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event - Cryptoprocta spelea - Chicxulub crater - Dire wolf - Dodo - Guadeloupe amazon - Homo floresiensis - Hoopoe starling - Huia - King Island Emu - Lesser Antillean macaw - Lord Howe swamphen - Mascarene grey parakeet - Mascarene parrot - Mauritius blue pigeon - Mesopropithecus - Newton's parakeet - Passenger pigeon - Red rail - Réunion ibis - Rodrigues parrot - Rodrigues rail - Rodrigues solitaire - Rodrigues starling - Sea mink - Smilodon - Spotted green pigeon - Steller's sea cow - Subfossil lemur - Tahiti rail - Thylacine - Quagga - Woolly mammoth

Aurochs - Raphinae - Martinique macaw - Saint Croix macaw

Dodo Temporal range: Holocene
Dodo skeleton cast (left) and model based on modern research (right), at Oxford University Museum of Natural History
Conservation status
Extinct (1662) (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Aves
Order:	Columbiformes
Family:	Columbidae
Subtribe:	†Raphina
Genus:	†Raphus Brisson, 1760
Species:	†R. cucullatus
Binomial name
†Raphus cucullatus (Linnaeus, 1758)
Location of Mauritius (in blue)
Synonyms
Struthio cucullatus Linnaeus, 1758 Didus ineptus Linnaeus, 1766

Here an example of a taxobox:

{{Speciesbox
| name =
| fossil_range =
| image =
| image_upright =
| image_caption =
| status = EX
| status_ref =
| status_system = IUCN3.1
| display_parents =
| genus =
| parent_authority = [[]], [[]]
| species = 
| authority = ([[]], [[]])
| synonyms =
| synonyms_ref =
| range_map =
| range_map_upright =
| range_map_caption = Former range (in red)
}}

The full taxobox guide is located at Wikipedia:WikiProject Tree of Life/taxobox usage.

Detailed taxonomic information, including notes on how taxa are defined and how they vary between different systems, belongs in the article proper. Where possible, however, a standard table will be provided to allow easier navigation between related groups and quick identification of what sort of organisms are being discussed. These are called taxoboxes. A typical taxobox is shown at right (it belongs on the top right of the page Dodo). For extinct plants see Hymenaea protera.

There are three main sections to the taxobox:

• A header showing the name of the group, sometimes followed by a representative image.
• A table showing the placement of the group in a typical classification system.
• A footer, whose content varies, showing the binomial name or a species, or a list of subgroups for higher taxa.

Some items that are often included, but are not (necessarily) standardized, include:

• Range map (see, for example, Orca)
• Synonyms (European lobster)
• Breeding organizations' classifications (Dingo)

Three different statuses can be used for extinct species:

1. | status = Fossil
2. | status = Prehistoric
3. | status = EX

Position: The taxobox generally belongs at the top right corner of the article, unless it has been decided otherwise on the relevant talk page - for instance, if the article is not primarily about the biological group.

• It has been suggested that List of extinct animals of Europe should be merged with List of extinct animals of Asia in order to create List of extinct animals of Eurasia. (May 2007)
• It has been suggested that New Zealand Pelican be merged with Australian Pelican.
• It has been suggested that Lions in Europe be merged into European lion. Discuss
• A Red List of Threatened Species Bot, a bot that would automatically add IUCN Red List classifications to taxoboxes, properly referenced. A bot to include any article having a scientific name in the IUCN Global invasive species database in the category "invasive species" might also be useful. Discuss

• Biology pages needing attention (cleanup, expansion, wikification, expert needed, etc.)
  • Conservation biology - I have added much to this article in the past year. Given the gravity of this topic it would be nice to have some editorial asssitance to get this particular article featured.Thompsma (talk) 00:19, 7 September 2009 (UTC)[reply]
  • Ecology - Another biology article of top importance that needs lots of attention.Thompsma (talk) 00:19, 7 September 2009 (UTC)[reply]

• Extinction articles needing attention (cleanup, expansion, wikification, expert needed, etc.)
  • Extinction articles without image
  • Extinction articles that need expansion
  • Extinction articles that need citations
  • Extinction topics that need an article
  • Templates in need of attention

Extinction

This article is a part of WikiProject Extinction, an attempt at creating a standardized, informative, comprehensive and easy-to-use resource on extinction and extinct organisms. If you would like to participate, you can choose to edit this article, or visit the project page for more information.ExtinctionWikipedia:WikiProject ExtinctionTemplate:WikiProject ExtinctionExtinction ??? This article has not yet received a rating on the importance scale.

The {{WikiProject Extinction}} project banner template should be added (not subst:ed) to the talk page of every article within the scope of the project.

{{The Extinct Barnstar|put your message here ~~~~}}—an award placed at another users talk page for improving Extinction related-articles.

		The Extinct Barnstar
		{{{1}}}

Here some internet resources with information on extinction or extinct species. Be Aware! Texts and images are most likely copyrighted and can not be used (unless otherwise stated). Write your own texts and use your own images or images that are in the public domain.

Images can be found at Wikimedia Commons.

• Wikimedia Commons Category: Extinct Animals
• Index of Public Domain Images
• U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service - Digital Library System

Here are some recommended books and reference works about Extinct Species

• Allen, Glover M. - Extinct and vanishing mammals of the western hemisphere, with the marine species of all the oceans Online Version
• Balouet, Jean-Christophe, Alibert, Eric, & Hollyman K. J. - Extinct Species of the World
• Bille, Matthew A. - Rumors of Existence: Newly Discovered, Supposedly Extinct, and Unconfirmed Inhabitants of the Animal Kingdom
• Burton, John A. & Barber, James - Extinct Animals (actually for children but also informative for all who are interested in the subject of extinct species)
• Cheke, Anthony & Hume, Julian Pender - Lost Land of the Dodo (comprehensive account about the extinct birdlife of the Mascarenes)
• Cokinos, Christopher - Hope is a Thing with Feathers (stories about the Carolina Parakeet, the Passenger Pigeon, the Ivory-billed Woodpecker, the Heath Hen, the Labrador Duck and the Great Auk)
• Day, David - The Doomsday Book of Animals
• Flannery, Tim & Schouten, Peter - A Gap in Nature
• Fuller, Errol - Extinct Birds
• Greenway, James C. - Extinct and Vanishing Birds of the World (2nd edition should be used always, and note many typographical errors. Very comprehensive treatment though
• Halliday, Tim - Vanishing Birds. Their natural history and conservation
• Harper, Francis - Extinct and Vanishing Mammals of the Old World Online Version
• Hume, Julian P. & Walters, Michael : Extinct Birds (covers all known extinct species and subspecies of birds from the holocene as well as dubious and hypothetical taxa)
• King, Warren B. - Red Data Book 2: Aves (2nd edition). IUCN, Morges, Switzerland. (with several accounts on extinct birds)
• Lambrecht, Kálmán - Handbuch der Palaeornithologie (early German standard work on the Avian Paleontology in the 20th Century)
• Luther, Dieter - Die ausgestorbenen Vögel der Welt: Die neue Brehm-Bücherei 424 (a good German book, and while some are missing it treats many extinct bird subspecies)
• MacPhee, R. D. E., Sues, Hans-Dieter - Extinctions in Near Time: Causes, Contexts, and Consequences
• Quammen, David - Song of the Dodo (interesting book about extinctions on Islands)
• Rothschild, Lionel Walter - Extinct Birds. Online Version
• Steadman, David W. - Extinction and Biogeography of Tropical Pacific Birds (2006 standard work on the topic, treats many taxa not hitherto reported in the literature)
• Tennyson, Alan - Extinct Birds of New Zealand (comprehensive account about the extinct birdlife of New Zealand)
• Turvey, Samuel - Holocene Extinctions (scientific account about the Holocene extinction events)
• Wolff Purcell, Rosamond - Swift as a Shadow (with beautiful photographes of extinct species from the Leiden Museum, Netherlands)
• Woods, Charles A. &, Sergile, Florence E. - Biogeography of the West Indies: Patterns and Perspectives (with several accounts of extinct mammals and birds from the West Indies.)
• Worthy, Trevor H. & Holdaway, Richard N. - The lost world of the Moa (comprehensive work on the extinct Avian fauna of New Zealand)

Main tool page: toolserver.org

• Reflinks - Edits bare references - adds title/dates etc. to bare references
• Checklinks - Edit and repair external links
• Dab solver - Quickly resolve ambiguous links.
• Peer reviewer - Provides hints and suggestion to improving articles.

• Runne 10:21, 22 November 2014 (UTC)[reply]
• IJReid 8:04, 2 June 2013 (UTC)
• John Troodon
• Peter Maas 22:38, 31 May 2006 (UTC)[reply]
• BorgQueen 21:58, 23 June 2006 (UTC)[reply]
• Jkelly 20:27, 25 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
• Dysmorodrepanis 19:42, 27 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]
• Melly42 16:02, 29 September 2006 (UTC)[reply]
• Matthias Macé 15:39, 13 October 2006 (UTC)[reply]
• Enlil Ninlil 03:31, 20 January 2007 (UTC) I love this subject.[reply]
• Sabine's Sunbird 20:21, 14 February 2007 (UTC)[reply]
• CheetahKeeper 03:47, 17 April 2007 (UTC)[reply]
• Philcha 00:42, 20 April 2007 (UTC)[reply]
• Cuddly Panda 11:49, 3 July 2007 (UTC)[reply]
• Brontoraptor
• Foxygramps 5:59, 10 November 2007
• Remaai 10:43, 7 Aug 2007 (UTC)
• Paleodude
• Blahark
• Maias
• Walkingwith08
• Wloveral --Wloveral (talk) 23:16, 4 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]
• JeanSolPartre^{Talk page} 22:23, 11 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]
• BoomBoxBuddy
• PrehistoricManiac08 (talk)
• User:Wilhelmina Will I called the Warner sister "Dottie" and lived to tell the tale! (talk) 04:35, 22 June 2008 (UTC)[reply]
• Sneaky Oviraptor18^{talk edits tribute} 22:01, 8 July 2008 (UTC) ^{don't tell.}[reply]
• Jordan Timothy James Busson
• Secthayrabe^{Talk page} 15:46, 13 September 2008
• Barbara Whelan
• Shrumster 22:40, 27 November 2008 (UTC)[reply]
• ThompsmaThompsma (talk) 07:03, 6 January 2009 (UTC)[reply]
• deign12 13:02, 8 January 2009 (UTC)[reply]
• Visionholder (talk) 02:33, 1 October 2009 (UTC)[reply]
• Warrah I would like to help
• Matt (talk) 19:26, 18 November 2009 (UTC
• Roozie12 (talk) 23:59, 24 January 2010 (UTC)[reply]
• Roozie1219 (talk)
• Bruinfan12 July 5, 2011
• Faendalimas ^talk 05:10, 20 August 2011 (UTC) STSC[reply]
• Robert Beatty (talk) 02:39, 23 December 2012 (UTC)[reply]
• User:Birdaregood (talk)
• HLHJ (talk) 15:15, 22 July 2015 (UTC)[reply]
•   User:Dunkleosteus77 |push to talk  – Let me know if you're doing anything with marine mammals
• Adityavagarwal (talk) 16:19, 10 October 2017 (UTC)[reply]
• --Arcahaeoindris (talk) 21:28, 5 December 2020 (UTC)[reply]
• 좀비 브렌다 (talk) 8:26, 5 January 2022 (UTC)
• Charlie Teuthis 1:14, 8 February 2024 (UTC)

Do you want to participate? Just add your name to the list!

TH Worthy - if someone asks I can provide them with papers that will allow update of relative fields eg flamingoes are missing many taxa etc (TH Worthy)

• Wikiproject Watchlist - WikiProject Extinction