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A male and female Chiriqui harlequin frog (<em>Atelopus chiriquiensis</em>) photographed in 2010. The species was declared extinct in 2019.
How Do Scientists Decide a Species Has Gone Extinct?
Getting it wrong can harm the very creatures that scientists are trying to protect.
How Do Scientists Decide a Species Has Gone Extinct?
How Do Scientists Decide a Species Has Gone Extinct?

Getting it wrong can harm the very creatures that scientists are trying to protect.

Getting it wrong can harm the very creatures that scientists are trying to protect.

IUCN

News feature
Photo of a long-tailed macaque (Macaca fascicularis) sitting on a rock overlooking a large body of water.
What Happens to Science When Model Organisms Become Endangered?
Dan Robitzski | Oct 13, 2022 | 9 min read
The long-tailed macaque and pig-tailed macaque are now endangered in the wild according to the IUCN Red List, which says exports for monkey research are partially to blame.
Dinosaur Fossil (Tyrannosaurus Rex) Found by Archaeologists
Are We in the Midst of a Sixth Mass Extinction?
Katarina Zimmer | Jul 18, 2022 | 10+ min read
Today’s extinction rates are sky-high. But scientists debate if that’s sufficient evidence to conclude that Earth is undergoing a mass extinction event—or whether that’s even a helpful designation.
Illustration of creatures from today&rsquo;s crisis
Infographic: A Look at the Big Five Mass Extinctions
Katarina Zimmer | Jul 18, 2022 | 4 min read
Extinction is a natural part of life on Earth. But occasionally, extinction rates have surged far beyond usual levels, driving mass extinction events that have reshaped the trajectory of life.
leatherback sea turtle making its way across a beach
Fifteen-Year Project Quantifies Threat to Reptiles
Shawna Williams | Apr 28, 2022 | 1 min read
The study estimates that one-fifth of reptile species worldwide are at risk of extinction.
Amphibian Conservation Champion Phil Bishop Dies
Lisa Winter | Feb 4, 2021 | 2 min read
His career was dedicated to understanding and protecting frog populations.
Conservation Biology Icon Georgina Mace Dies at 67
Lisa Winter | Oct 2, 2020 | 3 min read
Mace led the work to determine the criteria for the IUCN’s Red List.
elephant herbivore extinction risk predator omnivore iucn red list
Risk of Extinction Is Greatest for Large Herbivores: Study
Ruth Williams | Aug 5, 2020 | 3 min read
Data on vertebrate species that have become, or are likely to become, extinct reveal plant eaters are most under threat.
Poisoning Suspected in Recent Hooded Vulture Deaths
Amy Schleunes | Mar 11, 2020 | 2 min read
Experts warn that an explosion of hooded vulture deaths in Guinea-Bissau could push the critically endangered species to the brink of extinction.
IUCN Red List Update Signals Hope for Gorillas
Ashley P. Taylor | Nov 19, 2018 | 2 min read
The status of the mountain gorilla is now endangered, an upgrade from critically endangered. Other species are becoming more threatened.
Many Species of British Mammals at Risk of Extinction
Sukanya Charuchandra | Jun 13, 2018 | 2 min read
Numbers of the wildcat, greater mouse-eared bat, and black rat have critically fallen in the U.K.  
North American Ash on Brink of Extinction
Catherine Offord | Sep 15, 2017 | 2 min read
The latest IUCN Red List update also reveals substantial declines in antelopes and other species, but some level of recovery in populations of snow leopards.
IUCN Declares Giraffes Vulnerable to Extinction
Ben Andrew Henry | Dec 8, 2016 | 1 min read
The iconic mammals have been declining in number for decades and could face extinction if conservation measures are not enacted.
Vultures in Africa Threatened
Karen Zusi | Oct 30, 2015 | 1 min read
A new assessment highlights an increased extinction risk among some of the continent’s vulture species.
One-Third of Cactus Species Threatened
Karen Zusi | Oct 6, 2015 | 2 min read
A global assessment of declining cacti populations places responsibility on increasing human activities.
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