human-induced extinction

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Illustrations of four extinct species: a dodo, a Tasmanian wolf or thylacine, a passenger pigeon, and a mamo, with the birds shown larger for detail. Scientific names are included.

What Happened to the Dodo Bird?

What are the Different Types of Extinction?

human-induced extinction

ecology

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July 21, 2026

Quick Summary

Illustrations of four extinct species: a dodo, a Tasmanian wolf or thylacine, a passenger pigeon, and a mamo, with the birds shown larger for detail. Scientific names are included. — extinct species Some species made extinct by humans.

Human-induced extinction refers to the dying out of a species due to human activities. This is a significant ecological concern, with current extinction rates estimated to be 1,000 times higher than natural background rates.1

Key drivers of human-induced extinction include:
* Habitat Loss and Degradation: This is the primary cause, involving the destruction of natural environments for agriculture, urban development, and logging.23
* Overexploitation: Hunting, fishing, and harvesting species for products like meat, body parts, or for the pet trade significantly increases extinction risk.14
* Pollution and Climate Change: Environmental contamination and global warming alter habitats and can force species to migrate or perish.13
* Invasive Species: Introduction of non-native species can outcompete and displace native populations.3

These factors contribute to biodiversity loss and have led some scientists to refer to the current era as the "sixth mass extinction".13

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extinction
Human-induced extinctions
Many species have become extinct because of hunting and overharvesting, the conversion of wetlands and forests to croplands and urban areas, pollution, the introduction of invasive species, and other forms of human-caused destruction of their natural
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Many species have become extinct because of hunting and overharvesting, the conversion of wetlands and forests to croplands and urban areas, pollution, the introduction of invasive species, and other forms of human-caused destruction of their natural
Read More

6 Animals We Ate Into Extinction
…directly linked to the insatiable appetites of modern humans. Read on to discover a few of the animals we have lost to our unthinking exploitation.
Read More
…directly linked to the insatiable appetites of modern humans. Read on to discover a few of the animals we have lost to our unthinking exploitation.
Read More

psittaciform
…United States; it was rendered extinct by human persecution. The last captive died in the Cincinnati Zoological Garden in 1914, but the last generally accepted observation in the wild was a flock seen in Florida in 1920, although it has been claimed that they existed in South Carolina until 1938.…
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…United States; it was rendered extinct by human persecution. The last captive died in the Cincinnati Zoological Garden in 1914, but the last generally accepted observation in the wild was a flock seen in Florida in 1920, although it has been claimed that they existed in South Carolina until 1938.…
Read More

dodo
…the most well-known examples of human-induced extinction and also serves as a symbol of obsolescence with respect to human technological progress.
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…the most well-known examples of human-induced extinction and also serves as a symbol of obsolescence with respect to human technological progress.
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endangered species
Human beings and endangered species
… are at risk because of human activities alone. By the early 21st century it could be said that human beings (Homo sapiens) are the greatest threat to biodiversity and are the major drivers of biodiversity loss. The principal threats to species in the wild are:
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… are at risk because of human activities alone. By the early 21st century it could be said that human beings (Homo sapiens) are the greatest threat to biodiversity and are the major drivers of biodiversity loss. The principal threats to species in the wild are:
Read More

flightless bird
Extinct species
…and some that have become extinct as a result of human activities are well known. Elephant birds (Aepyornis, Mullerornis, and Vorombe) were massive birds that lived on the island of Madagascar. Carbon dating suggests that the longest-surviving elephant bird species, A.
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…and some that have become extinct as a result of human activities are well known. Elephant birds (Aepyornis, Mullerornis, and Vorombe) were massive birds that lived on the island of Madagascar. Carbon dating suggests that the longest-surviving elephant bird species, A.
Read More

passenger pigeon
migratorius), migratory bird hunted to extinction by humans. Billions of these birds inhabited eastern North America in the early 1800s; migrating flocks darkened the skies for days. As settlers pressed westward, however, passenger pigeons were slaughtered by the millions yearly and shipped by railway carloads for sale in…
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migratorius), migratory bird hunted to extinction by humans. Billions of these birds inhabited eastern North America in the early 1800s; migrating flocks darkened the skies for days. As settlers pressed westward, however, passenger pigeons were slaughtered by the millions yearly and shipped by railway carloads for sale in…
Read More

Postcards from the 6th Mass Extinction
The current rate of human-induced extinctions is estimated to be between 100 and 1,000 times greater than past natural (background) rates. This situation is largely due to the exponential growth in the number of humans on Earth and their activities. Population has increased from about 1.3 billion people in…
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The current rate of human-induced extinctions is estimated to be between 100 and 1,000 times greater than past natural (background) rates. This situation is largely due to the exponential growth in the number of humans on Earth and their activities. Population has increased from about 1.3 billion people in…
Read More

Mass Extinction
…Earth’s ultimate future is the ongoing mass extinction of the rest of life. We share the planet with a roughly estimated 10 million other species. They are being extinguished at a rate between 100 and 1,000 times faster than before the arrival of our own species. The effect could be…
Read More
…Earth’s ultimate future is the ongoing mass extinction of the rest of life. We share the planet with a roughly estimated 10 million other species. They are being extinguished at a rate between 100 and 1,000 times faster than before the arrival of our own species. The effect could be…
Read More