One of the questions is, "what would happen if we let an animal go extinct? What would we lose?"
Can anyone give examples of extinct animals and what would happen if they were gone? Thanks!!
Food, clothing (leather, wool, Ect.)
depends
They are not asking about already extinct animals, but what might happen if a currently existing animal went extinct, e.g., cows, dogs, elephants, zebras, polar bears, or others you might think of.
If we let an animal go extinct, it can have significant impacts on the ecosystem and the balance of nature. Here are some examples of extinct animals and the effects of their extinction:
1. Passenger Pigeon: The passenger pigeon was once one of the most abundant bird species in North America. However, due to overhunting and habitat loss, the last known passenger pigeon died in 1914. The extinction of passenger pigeons disrupted the forest ecosystems as they played a crucial role in seed dispersal. Without them, certain tree species lost their main seed dispersers, leading to changes in forest composition.
2. Dodo: The dodo was a flightless bird that inhabited the island of Mauritius in the Indian Ocean. It went extinct in the 17th century due to human activity. The extinction of the dodo had cascading effects on the ecosystem. The dodo was the only animal capable of eating the large seeds of the tambalacoque tree. Since the tree's seeds couldn't be dispersed elsewhere and consumed by the dodo, it caused a decline in tambalacoque trees, impacting other species that depended on them for food and habitat.
3. Tasmanian Tiger: The thylacine, commonly known as the Tasmanian Tiger, was a carnivorous marsupial native to Australia and Tasmania. It became extinct in the 20th century due to hunting and habitat degradation. The extinction of the Tasmanian Tiger disrupted the predator-prey balance in the ecosystem, as it was the top predator in its habitat. This could have led to an increase in the population of its prey species, impacting their food sources and causing imbalances in the ecosystem.
By examining the examples of these extinct animals, we can conclude that the loss of any species, no matter how big or small, can have far-reaching consequences. Ecosystems are complex networks of interdependent species, and each species plays a vital role in maintaining the balance and functioning of the ecosystem. The extinction of one species can create a domino effect, affecting other species and their habitats.